The Cousland Twins
by Amelia-Hawke
Summary: What if the youngest of the Cousland family had a twin? This is the story of the Cousland Twins, Jordana and Jensen, as they join the Grey Wardens and seek their revenge on Arl Rendon Howe. Will contain spoilers. Check my profile for more information on ratings. F!CouslandxAlistair, maybe M!CouslandxLeliana. Temporarily ON HOLD. Check my profile for more info.
1. The Good Old Days

_**Disclaimer note:**_** I do not own **_**Dragon Age: Origins**_** or anything that relates to it. It is the property of BioWare.**

_**Spoiler alert:**_** This story contains spoilers for **_**Dragon Age: Origins**_** and the following DLC: **_**Warden's Keep, the Stone Prisoner**_** and **_**Return to Ostagar**_**. Please read at your own discretion.**

**Hello folks and welcome to another story of mine. I have made some changes to the story of **_**Dragon Age: Origins**_**. A major change is the role of Morrigan. I do not like her and I find her personality to be…abrasive. I also doubt I would be able to remain in character and as such, she will only make a minor appearance and will not be one of the companions. Family will also play a more important role – most notably Fergus – and I will also be playing around with the timeline in certain areas, such as just after the Joining. There will be other changes but these are the most important. If you don't like it, then don't read it. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear some feedback so please review.**

**On a side note, the majority of the story will be from Jordana's perspective and there will sometimes be Jensen or other companions' perspectives thrown in. This is nothing against the other characters, I just find it easier this way.**

**And I also wanted to post this story now to get some feedback and see if it is worth continuing. My **_**Mass Effect**_** stories will still take priority and this will become an "update whenever" story so it may be a bit erratic. I also needed a bit of a distraction from the **_**ME**_** universe and this will help me to come up with other ideas to improve those stories.**

**Chapter 1: The Good Old Days**

Jordana sat on the floor with her legs crossed and her left hand was resting on her mabari's head as she absentmindedly played with his ear. Her oldest brother, Fergus, and her twin brother, Jensen, were practising their fighting with their swords and shields. Fergus usually won whenever they sparred because of his experience and slightly more muscular build but Jensen never gave up and took every spar as a chance to learn. Jordana didn't have her twin's patience and she could never wield a sword and shield the way her brothers could – her skill was with the bow, just like her mother, and she was pretty decent when wielding twin daggers.

Jordana and Jensen both had their mother's green eyes but Jensen's hair was dark brown, favouring their father, and Jordana's hair was copper-red, a mixture of both parents. Jensen was much taller than Jordana and was already the same height as Fergus. His build was muscular which allowed him to use his sword and shield extremely well. Jordana was not short, exactly, but she was shorter than her brothers and she reached just above their shoulders. Her build was slim with slight muscles built in her arms and legs which granted her the agility to efficiently kill with her daggers and the strength to accurately use a longbow.

The sparring match was already going on longer than normal and Jordana was curious as to who would win. Jensen's face was red while Fergus' brow was heavy with sweat. They were both breathing hard but they both refused to give up just yet. Even Luther, her Mabari, was curious and lifted his head to watch. They were starting to get sluggish and Jordana guessed the end of the spar would come soon.

"My lady," a voice called behind her and she looked over her shoulder.

Ser Roland Gilmore was approaching her swiftly and had an anxious expression on his face. His red hair was a mess but his armour was spotless. Wherever he was coming from must have been important if his expression was anything to go by. Jordana gracefully got to her feet just as Ser Gilmore reached her. Suddenly there was a triumphant cry from behind and a loud clatter as someone dropped his sword to the ground. Annoyed that she missed the end of the fight, she sighed slightly and focused on Ser Gilmore. Hopefully he had a good reason for this interruption. She soon became aware that Fergus and Jensen were standing on either side of her and breathing hard to catch their breath.

"What's going on, Sister?" Fergus enquired curiously.

"I'm just waiting to find out," Jordana prompted subtly.

"Apologies, my lady," Gilmore apologised, picking up on the hint. "Your father has requested your presence, as well as my lords, for an urgent matter."

"Very well. Lead on, Ser Gilmore," Fergus instructed.

Ser Gilmore nodded once and started walking in the direction of the castle. They walked in silence and the only noise they heard was their boots on the paved paths, the click click of Luther's claws and Fergus and Jensen's slowing breathing. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the main hall. Teyrn Bryce and his wife, Teyrna Eleanor, were standing with a young man who was dressed in the king's colour. Bryce thanked the young man who bowed in response and left rather suddenly. He turned to face his children and took in Fergus and Jensen's breathless appearance.

"Who won the spar?" he asked light-heartedly.

"It was a draw," Fergus answered, unashamedly and with a bit of pride.

"Crap," Jordana muttered under her breath.

Fergus and Jensen looked to their sister in confusion while Eleanor looked horrified. It was not proper for a lady – especially in the case of nobility – to use such foul language.

"Jordana!" she reprimanded her only daughter.

Jordana realised what she had said and smiled at her mother sheepishly, much to her father's amusement. Her father and her brothers were always willing to overlook the occasional bad word but Maker forbid if she said it in front of her mother. Too bad Jordana forget that she was standing within earshot.

"I do believe you owe me two hundred silver, pup," Bryce commented.

Jordana sighed in defeat. "I'm good for it."

It was Bryce's turn to be in trouble.

"Are you gambling with our daughter?" Eleanor demanded disapprovingly.

"It's just a friendly bet, love," Bryce soothed.

Eleanor was still obviously annoyed while Fergus and Jensen were obviously confused. What had the bet been about and who bet what? Jordana was avoiding eye contact with both of her brothers and had found the marvellous workmanship of the floor to be of particular interest. Bryce grinned in amusement while he kept an eye on his wife to make sure he wasn't still in trouble.

"Why was there a messenger from the king?" Ser Gilmore interrupted, getting straight to business.

"King Cailan believes there is another Blight brewing in the south and he has asked us to send our armies to join the battle," Bryce explained, suddenly serious.

"Asked?" Jensen scoffed.

Bryce ignored him. "Arl Howe will be bringing his men here and then together we will march our forces to the fortress of Ostagar on the borders of the Korcari Wilds. Fergus and Jensen will be joining me."

"Jordana will stay here and act as teyrna while we are gone," Eleanor finished and gave Jordana a meaningful look.

"'We'?" Fergus asked his mother in confusion. There was no reason for his mother to ride along with them to war.

"Yes. My good friend, Lady Landra, will be arriving soon. Jensen and Jordana met her at my last spring salon. Once we get Jordana settled, I will go home with her and stay for a few days," Eleanor explained.

"You're leaving me here alone?" Jordana asked, stunned. That had never happened before.

"Your father seems to think that my presence here will undermine your authority," Eleanor answered and gave her husband an unconvinced look.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? We won't have a home to come back to," Jensen argued.

Fergus and Bryce grinned while Jordana gave her twin brother an unimpressed look and punched him in the shoulder. Jensen looked insulted as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Enough, pup," Bryce warned while trying to keep from laughing. "I need your brother strong enough to fight. We'll talk more about the plan as soon as Arl Howe arrives."

The Cousland children nodded in understanding and left the main hall, heading back towards the training grounds. Once they were out of earshot of their parents, Fergus slowed his pace and Jensen quickened his so they were walking on either side of Jordana.

"So…" Jensen began awkwardly, exchanging a glance with Fergus.

"So," the eldest echoed.

Jordana looked at Jensen and then at Fergus in confusion. It was an obvious sign that her brothers were ganging up on her. "What?"

"What bet was Father talking about?" Fergus asked curiously.

"I bet Father that you would win while he said it would be a draw." Fergus started to laugh while Jensen was once again offended. "I had no reason to believe that you could beat Fergus."

Fergus started to laugh while Jensen glared at her. Jordana smiled at him and after a few moments, Jensen smiled too. Jensen and Jordana were often joined at the hip – Jordana causing trouble somewhere and Jensen protecting her or cleaning up after her – so it was impossible for Jensen to remain angry at his sister. She always managed to get away with a lot more because she was the youngest and the only daughter. Jensen and Fergus didn't mind though because it gave them plenty of opportunities to gang up on her. Besides, their mother was intent on constantly reminding Jordana to act like a proper lady and she was constantly trying to force a husband on her, even though their parents had agreed that all of their children should be allowed to marry for love. In Fergus and Jensen's opinions, Jordana definitely drew the short straw.

Not to say that Fergus and Jensen didn't have their own duties to live up to. Fergus was always going to inherit Highever and rule over it as the next Teyrn when Eleanor and Bryce decided it was time to step down. This meant that a lot was expected of Fergus and he was constantly called by either his mother or his father to sit in on delicate, diplomatic matters or problems that their vassals brought before them. He was being exposed to a lot of politics to make sure he got some practice and to teach him to consider all the angles before making a decision that could greatly affect them all.

It had always been expected of Jensen to follow in his father's footsteps and become a high ranking officer in the army. He spent a lot of time being trained by the best warriors and tacticians that money could buy which explained why he was able to beat Fergus in a spar even despite the five year age gap. There was a lot of pressure on him to become a skilled warrior and a gifted soldier. Even if their parents didn't openly say this, Fergus, Jensen and Jordana all knew exactly what was expected of them. And they all handled it with the grace, understanding, patience and enthusiasm that the Couslands were known for.

They returned to the training grounds and started to pack the equipment away. It was starting to get late in the day and Fergus and Jensen were too tired to spar with Jordana. She didn't mind though because she had spent most of the morning beating up a poor, defenceless straw dummy while her brothers had been receiving lessons in military strategy. They worked quickly and methodically together. Luther even pitched in and the training arena was soon back in pristine condition. While Fergus and Jensen disappeared into the armoury to put their practice armour away, Jordana waited outside and thoughtfully looked at the sky. The sun was slowly descending to the horizon and there was probably still a few hours of daylight left.

"It's called a sky," Jensen pointed out helpfully from her shoulder.

"Thanks for that, Lord Obvious," Jordana responded dryly.

Jensen shrugged. "Just trying to do my lordly duties."

"Do you think there's time to take the horses out for a ride?" she asked, choosing not to insult her brother for a change. "You know how Luther loves running in the fields."

Luther barked happily and started to wag his stubby tail in excited anticipation.

Fergus scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, Jords. Mother will be furious if we're late for dinner again."

"Hasn't Oren been nagging you to take him riding?" Jensen asked innocently. "Now would be a good time before we have to ride south."

"I suppose you…" Fergus drifted off quietly and then narrowed his brown eyes in mock suspicion. "I see what you're doing."

"Darling Sister, do you have any idea of what he is referring to?" Jensen asked, still attempting to feign innocence.

"Why, Brother Dear, I do not have any thoughts as to what he speaks of," Jordana answered in a similar tone of voice, clearly misusing her mother's various lessons on etiquette and speaking properly.

Fergus sighed softly and shook his head even as a grin slowly emerged. "Mother will be pleased to know you're paying attention to her lessons, at least."

Jordana smiled in amusement and Luther decided to sit down in front of Fergus. He looked up with his warm honey brown eyes and whined pitifully.

Fergus looked away from the Mabari and focused on his sister again. "I see you've taught your Mabari how to guilt someone. _Fine_. I'll go get Oren."

Luther barked happily and Jordana grinned widely. "I'll go get his favourite stick."

"I guess I'll go saddle the horses then," Jensen decided in a somewhat less enthusiastic tone and to no one in particular even as Fergus and Jordana walked off together.

It wasn't long until they were riding their horses in the peaceful farmlands. Luther was running off, alternating between playfully greeting the farmers working in their fields or chasing after a stray chicken. Oren was sitting in front of Fergus and was watching Luther, occasionally laughing and just generally enjoying this time with his father. Fergus, Jensen and Jordana travelled in silence, apart from returning the pleasant greetings of those they crossed paths with. They tried to go for a late afternoon ride together whenever it was possible. It was always good to get away from the castle and enjoy the beautiful countryside.

They didn't wander too far from Castle Cousland and they stopped the horses close to a small stream. They dismounted from their horses and watched as Oren tossed Luther's stick for him. Jensen pushed Jordana into the stream when she had bent down to check something. His amusement was short lived because Luther came up from behind and tackled him into the water beside Jordana. Their laughter carried into the trees and pretty soon, the twins had pulled Fergus into the water with them. At times like this, it was hard for anyone of them to imagine the darkness that lay ahead.

* * *

Jordana leant her elbow on the armrest of the large chair she was sitting in and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Castle Cousland was bustling with all sorts of activity. Preparations were being made for the soldiers that were departing to Ostagar; other preparations were being made for the arrival of Arl Howe and his army. Even more preparations were being made for the departure of the Teyrn, Teyrna and Fergus and Jensen. And lastly, preparations were being made to make sure everyone was aware that Jordana would be taking over the duties of Teyrna Eleanor while she was gone.

It was because of this last bit that Jordana was bored out of her mind. Her day had started out fairly normally: she had morning archery practise followed by her studies with Aldous and then lunch. Things started to go downhill when Eleanor told Jordana to dress presentably and meet her in the Main Hall. Knowing her mother as well as she did, "something presentable" meant wearing a dress. How Jordana _loathed_ dresses. Nevertheless, she did as she was told. Her mother was having a hard time dealing with her husband and two sons leaving to fight in a war so Jordana decided to try to make things easier.

And so she wore a pale green dress that had been a birthday gift a few years back. The moment she entered the Main Hall, Eleanor started to fuss over her and gave her advice on how to dress when she was alone and overseeing things, since Jordana did not employ a lady in waiting or servant. Since that moment, Eleanor was testing Jordana to make sure she knew what she was doing. One thing she knew for sure was that she was completely bored out of her mind. Thankfully, one of the guards had needed to speak with Eleanor urgently and had thus given Jordana a break. She blew her fringe out of her eyes in annoyance. Jensen was probably doing something fun right about now.

"Jordana, don't slouch!" Eleanor suddenly shouted across the room.

Out of fright, she sat up dead straight. "Mother, we've been doing this for _days_!"

Eleanor sighed impatiently. "Don't be so melodramatic. It's only been an hour."

Jordana sagged in the Teyrna's chair. _Only an hour? How could that be true?_

Eleanor sighed and approached her daughter, her expression softening. "I just want to make sure you'll be all right while I'm away."

Jordana looked up. "I'll be fine. Honestly. You've been preparing me for this my whole life, Mother."

Eleanor smiled gently. "I know, dear. You'll make your father and I proud."

Jordana returned her smile and perked up hopefully. "Does this mean we're finished?"

Eleanor sighed in exasperation. "I suppose so."

"Yes!" Jordana cheered and shot to her feet.

Eleanor pursed her lips in disapproval. "That was very unladylike, Jordana."

"Sorry, Mother," she apologised sheepishly. "But I promised Fergus I'd play hide and seek with Oren so he can say goodbye to Oriana. You know, get all the tears and fussing out of the way before he says his farewells to the rest of us."

Eleanor finally caved and nodded in the direction of the door. "Go on."

Jordana grinned and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Love you."

She picked up the hem of her dress and practically shot out of the Main Hall as fast as an arrow, getting a few amused chuckles from the guards on duty. She covered the ground up to Fergus' quarters in record time and knocked on the door. She loved spending time with her nephew. Oren never moaned at her or corrected her posture or teased her. He was the one person in all of Highever that didn't mind her – sometimes – childish behaviour and his enthusiasm was contagious. Oriana opened the door and Fergus had a few things laid across his bed, obviously trying to decide what to pack.

"Oriana," Jordana greeted brightly. "How are you?"

"As well as I can be," Oriana answered with a small smile. It was obvious that Fergus' departure was weighing heavily on her mind.

Oriana was close to the same height as Jordana and she had dark brown hair, a shade or two lighter than Fergus'. It was tied back in some complicated yet elegant style that presumably came from Antiva. She was wearing a dress of fine quality that was a mixture of reds and whites which suited her well. Her voice no longer had the Antivan accent though it would pop up every now and then depending on the words she used.

Fergus looked up from his packing and broke into a grin. "I'm surprised you were able to escape from Mother so soon."

"It's a gift," Jordana replied with a smirk. "Have you seen Jensen?"

"He's with Father, overseeing the men and making sure they are prepared to depart as soon as Arl Howe has arrived," he answered.

Jordana entered their quarters at Oriana's insistence. "What do you know of Arl Howe?"

"Pretty much the same as you," Fergus answered and then gave her a sideways look. "I am assuming you've been paying attention to your lessons?"

"_Of course_ I've been paying attention," she answered with a look of annoyance though it disappeared quite quickly. "I meant anything other than what Aldous has taught us."

Fergus considered the question for a moment. "Not much, I suppose. Just that he and Father are close friends. I heard a rumour that he has an intense dislike for the Orlesians and doesn't hold Cailan in very high regard. But I thought you knew his son, Tomas?"

"'Know' is such a strong term," Jordana answered with a grimace.

"You see him as an acquaintance?" Oriana asked.

"More like a stalker," Jordana corrected. "The last time we met was years ago when we were at Redcliffe for the Tournament. It was back when Mother was extremely determined to arrange a marriage. She decided Tomas Howe would make a suitable husband and as soon as he overheard this, he wouldn't stop following me around for the duration of the Tournament. Jensen thought it was the funniest thing ever."

Oriana smiled in amusement. "What of Fergus?"

She shrugged. "He was competing, naturally. On our way home, Jensen told him the story and they laughed at me the whole way."

Fergus grinned at the memory. "I remember now."

Jordana decided to change the topic before he started to tease her again. "So, where's my charge for the afternoon?"

Oriana glanced to an adjoining door that led to Oren's room. "He's still having his afternoon nap but he should be awake soon. Thank you for this, Jordana."

"Think nothing of it," Jordana replied. "You deserve some time together. Besides, I need a minion to do my bidding."

Fergus chuckled while Oriana shook her head. "Fergus, sometimes your family causes me great pain."

"Don't worry about it, love," Fergus answered. "We all know that if anyone gets in trouble, it'll be Jordana."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Jordana interjected dryly.

"Sorry, Sister. The entire castle knows you are the troublemaker in the family," Fergus replied with a smirk.

Jordana sighed. "I suppose you have a point."

The adjoining door opened and Oren entered the main room, sleepily rubbing his eyes and yawning. The moment he saw Jordana, he broke into a huge grin and ran over to her.

"You ready to go hide?" Jordana asked excitedly.

Oren nodded quickly. "You bet."

"I'll count to fifty," she told him and he bolted out of the door. Then she looked up. "How long do you want me to keep him busy?"

Oriana considered the question. "Until late afternoon?"

"Got it," she replied and shot out the door after her nephew.

Fergus sighed, still smiling. "Perhaps Jensen was right to be worried."

* * *

It was a few hours later and Oren was back with his parents. Jordana was – in a word – exhausted. That little boy had so much energy it was hard to keep up with him, especially after a nap. This wasn't news to Jordana so she was used to collapsing into the first thing that so much as resembled a chair. Her rest didn't last very long because one of the guards approached. He was amused by her appearance – the guards of Castle Cousland were used to watching Jordana running after little Oren and they would occasionally help Oren hide from his aunt. She was a little too good at finding things she was supposed to and it was an unfair advantage, in the guards' minds.

He bowed in respect. "Forgive the interruption, my lady. Teyrn Cousland requests your presence in the Main Hall."

"Thank you," she replied and got to her feet.

She was still wearing the green dress from earlier in the day and while it was pretty much in the same condition as when she had just put it on, the hem was brown in colour because of all the dirt it had picked up. As she walked, Jordana redid her hair into a tight bun. If the whispered rumours amongst the guards were correct, then Arl Howe had arrived a short while ago. If this was the case then she needed to be presentable for her father. Navigating the way to the Main Hall was effortless and she carefully pushed the door open. The Main Hall was much the same as it had been except there were more people.

Bryce was standing and talking to a man who seemed to be around the same age. His hair was grey and his build slim. There was just something about his face that Jordana found to be disconcerting. She had no idea why but her instincts were screaming at her not to trust this man. It made little sense. Arl Howe and Bryce had been friends for many years and had fought together in the past. Jordana pushed this feeling away as she slowly approached. There were a few guards standing nearby and their shields bore the crest of Amaranthine. Jensen was standing next to Bryce, wearing full armour and with his weapons strapped on. Based on his expression, something was bothering him and Jordana couldn't tell what.

Bryce looked up at her approach. "And here's my little girl now. Pup, I'd like to introduce you to Arl Rendon Howe."

Keeping her lessons in mind, Jordana curtsied to show that she acknowledged his title but stopped halfway because, technically, her title was more powerful than his. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Arl Howe."

"And yours, dear girl," Howe replied with an odd edge to his voice…did she hear a bit of irritation? "My son Tomas asked after you."

Jordana fought hard to stop herself from grimacing and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jensen was smirking. As much as she would have loved to tell this man exactly what she thought of arranged marriages, she knew she needed to remain polite otherwise her mother would have her head.

"He is well?" she asked politely.

"He is indeed," Arl Howe answered. "Perhaps when this Blight has been dealt with, I'll bring Tomas to visit."

This time, Jordana couldn't stop herself. She had no intention of getting a deluded boy's hopes up. "With all due respect, I have no interest in an arranged marriage."

Arl Howe's polite smile faltered for a moment. Jensen's smirk only got bigger and Bryce chuckled lightly.

"See what I contend with, Howe? You can't tell my fierce girl anything these days, Maker bless her heart," Bryce commented lightly and his eyes shone with pride.

Jordana smiled at her father. In some matters, it was far easier to deal with him than her mother and the topic of marriage was one of them. Even though Howe was smiling, it didn't reach his eyes.

"A temperament to match her fighting," he replied lightly. "Well done, Your Lordship."

Jordana frowned at his tone of voice. There was something…fake about it, like he didn't mean a word he said and was only attempting to placate the Teyrn. A quick glance confirmed that Jensen had picked up on this too.

"It is odd that you have allowed your daughter to train, is it not?" Howe continued.

Jordana wanted to answer but instead, she looked to her father.

"Not at all," Bryce answered proudly. "Jordana is an exceptional archer, almost as talented as her mother was at her age."

She smiled at the compliment and thanked her lucky stars she had such an amazing father. It was true that she wasn't as good as her mother had been but she was working hard to get there. It was confusing to try to figure out why Howe was so against the idea. As her mother constantly reminded her, it did make it hard to find a match but Jordana already told Howe that wouldn't be an issue. He also was a bit irritated when Bryce mentioned Eleanor was also skilled with a bow. His behaviour was just off…even though he was attempting to put on a good show.

"At any rate, Pup, I summoned you for a reason. We need to speak more of what will happen while your brothers and I are gone. Only a token force is remaining here and you must keep peace in the region. You know what they say about mice when the cat is away, yes?"

Jordana attempted to hide a smirk. "I understand, Father. I won't let you down."

"I know you will do well, Pup," he answered with a smile and then turned to look at the door on the opposite side of the room. "Jordana, Jensen, there is someone I would like you to meet. Please…show Duncan in."

Jordana and Jensen exchanged a mystified look. An older man – still younger than their father though – entered through the door. He was tall and quite obviously a well-trained warrior. His chocolate brown hair was tied back in a pony and his warm brown eyes took in the appearances of them both in a single glance. He bowed the top half of his body a fraction and then looked up.

"It is an honour to be a guest in your hall, Teyrn Cousland," Duncan said sincerely.

Jordana glanced back at Jensen to see if he had any idea as to who this man was or why he was a guest when everyone was preparing to leave. Apparently, Jensen knew something that she didn't because an excited smile had surfaced and he was trying his hardest not to bounce on the spot. Jordana looked back at Duncan, trying to work out what it was about this man to warrant such a reaction.

"Your Lordship, you didn't mention that a Grey Warden would be present," Arl Howe interjected and he sounded annoyed and offended at the same time. At least it explained why Jensen was ridiculously excited.

"Duncan arrived just recently, unannounced. Is there a problem?" Bryce asked sharply.

"Of course not," Howe replied with a light chuckle, attempting to cover up his earlier reaction. "But a guest of this stature demands certain protocol. I am…at a disadvantage."

Bryce accepted this answer and divided his attention between Jordana and Jensen to provide an explanation. "Duncan is looking for recruits before joining us and his fellow Wardens in the south. I believe he has his eye on Ser Gilmore."

"Ser Gilmore is a talented knight and a brave man," Jordana replied. "I imagine he would make a great Grey Warden."

"Agreed," Jensen added. "Few can wield a sword as well as he."

Duncan smiled at their praise. "If I might be so bold, I would suggest that your son and daughter would make excellent candidates."

That was certainly unexpected. Jordana didn't know how to feel about the compliment. Mother would never allow her to accept and leading a nomadic lifestyle did not sound very fun. Jensen, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear. It wasn't difficult to see how he felt about it.

Bryce took a step forward so he was shielding both of his children. "Honour though that might be, these are my children we are talking about."

Jordana was relieved that her father was forbidding this suggestion. If it was a genuine offer, she would not have known what to say. Jensen frowned in disappointment.

"Is there a reason why we shouldn't join the Grey Wardens, if the opportunity presents itself?" he asked.

"Grey Wardens _are_ heroes, old friend," Howe added.

Why was Howe even getting involved in this? Jordana gave him a sideways glance and then looked back to Jensen, offering him a supportive smile. While she didn't personally want to become a Grey Warden, she would still be there for her brother no matter what happened.

Bryce was annoyed and on the defensive. "I've not so many children that I'll gladly see them all off to battle. Unless you plan to invoke the Right of Conscription…?"

Duncan smiled to show that there was no harm meant. "Have no fear. While we need as many good recruits as we can find, I've no intention of forcing the issue."

Bryce immediately relaxed. "Pup, can you ensure that Duncan's requests will be met while I'm gone?"

"Of course, Father," she answered and smiled at Duncan. "It would be my honour."

"Excellent. I'd like you and Jensen to find Fergus. Tell him to lead the troops to Ostagar ahead of me. I'll follow once Howe's men arrive."

Jensen and Jordana knew exactly when their parents were trying to get rid of them. The matter was obviously quite serious and they decided not to pester him.

"Yes, Father," Jensen answered. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Duncan."

"Likewise," Duncan answered.

Jordana and Jensen left the Main Hall together and were soon walking under the darkening sky.

"Did Arl Howe give you a weird feeling too?" Jensen suddenly asked.

Jordana shrugged and looked up at the sky. "I suppose. There's something about him that just…I don't know…feels wrong."

"For a moment there, I was worried it was my nerves getting to me," he replied.

Jordana looked at him and smiled reassuringly. "You'll be fine. If anyone's in trouble, it'll be Fergus. Oriana is not impressed."

Jensen smiled in appreciation for the reassurance but it slowly faded. "Howe's explanation didn't make sense either."

"You mean why his men are delayed?" she asked in confusion. "Why? What did he say?"

"Poor weather," he answered simply.

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "We've been having good weather lately, even along the borders with Amaranthine."

"Exactly," Jensen agreed. "Maybe we've been lucky and missed the bad weather."

She shrugged again. "Let's hope so."

As they continued down the path, Ser Gilmore suddenly came jogging around the corner. He was breathless and quite relieved to see Jordana in particular.

"My lord, my lady," he greeted breathlessly. "Her Ladyship sent me to find you."

Jordana paled. "It's not for another lesson, is it?"

Even Ser Gilmore cracked a smile. "No, my lady. It would appear that your hound has found another way into the larder. Nan is throwing a fit and even threatened to leave."

"She always threatens to leave when things don't go her way," Jensen said dismissively.

"In any case, your mother wishes you to collect him. He refuses to listen to anyone."

Jordana smiled. "I suppose Fergus could use a few more minutes with Oren and Oriana."

Jensen nodded. "And someone needs to make sure you don't antagonise Nan more."

"If you're going to miss me while you're gone, you could just say that you want to spend more time with me," she teased innocently.

Jensen attempted to keep his face straight. "You're only partially right, Sister. I'm worried I'll miss Luther terribly."

Jordana started to laugh as they started to walk again. "I'm sure Luther will miss you too." Then she turned serious again. "Will you be leaving with Fergus?"

Jensen shook his head. "Father wants me to remain here and leave with him when Howe's men arrive. _If_ they arrive."

Ser Gilmore gave them a disapproving look because they were saying inappropriate things about an Arl and an old friend of the Teyrn's but said nothing. Just as they crossed past the path that would lead to their bedrooms, their mother called out to them. She was entertaining some guests in an outside sitting area. The woman Jordana immediately recognised as Lady Landra and her son, Dairren, was standing beside her. There was a third woman - an Elf - that Jordana did not know and assumed she was Landra's lady in waiting. Jensen and Jordana took the detour, with Gilmore following close behind, and walked towards their mother.

"I hope Landra is sober this time," Jensen said just loud enough for Jordana to hear.

She smiled and fought hard to keep from laughing. It had been an entertaining day for them both. The morning was spent with Landra trying to convince Jordana to accept Dairren's marriage proposal and then spent the afternoon drunkenly hitting on Jensen. The only one to escape unscathed was Fergus and that was because he was already married. As they drew closer, Landra's cheeks flushed slightly and Dairren's face lit up. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

"And here are the twins now," Eleanor announced fondly. "Have you sorted out that Mabari of yours?"

"Not yet, Mother. We were just on our way," Jordana answered.

Eleanor nodded in approval. "Lady Landra, Dairren, I'm sure you remember Jensen and Jordana?"

"Of course," Landra replied and looked to Jensen. "I really must apologise for the way I behaved when we last met."

"There is nothing to apologise for, my lady," Jensen replied smoothly.

"You are too kind," she responded and then focused on Jordana. "And I believe I tried to convince you to marry my son."

Jordana smiled politely.

"And made a very poor case," Dairren added in mock offense. "It is a pleasure to see you again, my lady. You are looking as beautiful as ever."

"Thank you and it is good to see you again too," Jordana answered.

Lady Landra then indicated the young woman behind her. "This is my lady in waiting, Iona."

The Elf bowed her head. "You are as handsome and as beautiful as your mother described."

"We are pleased to meet you," Jensen said with a smile to show he wasn't just saying it and that he actually meant it.

Jordana agreed and also smiled to show that Jensen spoke for them both. Iona was obviously quite shy and had not expected to be put on the spot like this. Despite her surprise, she handled it well with grace and recovered quickly. There was also an innocence about her that led Jordana to believe that Iona was grateful to have this position – not because she was an Elf but just grateful. Unlike Arl Howe. When Jordana had said it was a pleasure to meet him, it was more out of courtesy than actually meaning what she said.

"Are you ready to face the challenges ahead, my lady?" Landra abruptly asked.

Jordana was silent for a moment before answering. "Mother has prepared me to the best of her ability and as long as something completely unexpected doesn't happen, then I believe I will be able to handle it. Oriana – Fergus' wife – will be around to help me if I need it."

Eleanor smiled proudly at her answer. "A good ruler knows how to ask for help."

"And a better ruler knows how to have fun," Jordana added with a smirk.

Eleanor sighed in frustration. "And I thought we were finally making some good progress."

Lady Landra chuckled. "Oh, my lady. You haven't changed a bit. Still as cheeky as ever."

"You're wrong, Landra. Jordana has definitely changed. If anything, she's gotten cheekier," Eleanor corrected.

"Admit it, Mother. It would be boring around here if Jordana wasn't as crazy as she is," Jensen pointed out.

"Perhaps," Eleanor added with a small smile. "You _do_ remind me of your father."

Landra, still very amused, decided to take her leave and headed towards her quarters to lie down. Dairren and Iona excused themselves, making their way towards the library. At Ser Gilmore's urging, Jordana and Jensen continued on their way to the kitchens to grab Luther. By the time they got there, Nan was yelling at her cooking assistants. Jordana was suddenly very tempted to quietly back away and pretend that she had no idea what her Mabari was up to. Unfortunately, Ser Gilmore had other plans. He bravely approached Nan while Jordana hid behind Jensen.

"Calm down, my good woman," Gilmore told a seething Nan. "Help has arrived."

Nan rounded on Ser Gilmore and was about to start yelling at him when she noticed Jordana peeking around her brother. "_You!_"

"Good evening, Nan," Jordana greeted in a very small voice, suddenly fearful for her life. Nan always had a soft spot for Fergus and Jensen but Jordana was _always_ in trouble with the cook.

"Get your mongrel out of my larder," Nan ordered angrily.

Jordana took offense to that. "Luther is _not_ a mongrel. He is a purebred Mabari with a lineage older than the Couslands!"

This just made Nan angrier but before she could explode, Jensen raised his hands in surrender. "What my sister _meant_ to say is that we will have him out of the larder right now."

Nan waved a finger threateningly even though she was still holding a wooden spoon in her other hand. "You better."

Jensen pushed Jordana in front of him and ushered her towards the larder with Ser Gilmore following close behind.

"How is it you can be so diplomatic around Arl Howe and the Warden-Commander yet you're unable to resist setting Nan off?" Jensen wondered aloud.

"She started it," Jordana muttered under her breath.

Jensen gave her a disapproving look and would have argued further if they had not reached the larder. Jordana sulkily opened the door and found Luther sniffing around the floor. The food stores were largely untouched except for a few holes that were too small to have been made by the large war hound. He obviously was not interested in the food and continued to sniff around the room.

"Luther?" Jordana said slowly, still attempting to figure out what exactly the Mabari was up to.

Luther looked up, barked happily and wagged his tail. Then he continued to search the room. All three stepped inside the larder, trying to find a clue as to what Luther was looking for.

"He's not interested in the food," Jensen concluded, thinking aloud. "There isn't any other reason for him to be in here." Then Jensen narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Jordana. "Unless you put him up to this."

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "I'm innocent, for once. The last time I saw Luther was when I was playing with Oren but that was hours ago. I have no idea why he's in here."

Luther suddenly stopped walking and his ears went flat. Something was upsetting him. And then he started to growl menacingly. Large rats started to rush into the larder, coming from holes in the walls. These rats were larger than the usual rats Jordana was used to seeing and they were pretty aggressive. They were attempting to attack them all. Luther must have been getting close to their nest and set off some sort of territorial reaction. The Mabari dove straight into combat. Jensen and Gilmore drew their swords and started to attack too. Jordana hung back because she didn't have her weapons with her. This didn't stop her from kicking the rats aside whenever they got too close to her brother or the knight. Despite their aggression, the rats didn't put up much of a fight and they were easily killed.

"Giant rats?" Ser Gilmore commented breathlessly. "Sounds like the beginning of every bad adventure tale my grandfather used to tell."

Jordana smirked. "They must have come in from the forests."

Jensen sheathed his sword. "What do we tell Nan? She would have obviously heard the noises and any mention of rats will not go down well."

"You're her favourite. I'm sure you'll come up with something," Jordana responded with an evil smirk.

Jensen shot her a look and then sighed in defeat. He opened the door and Ser Gilmore followed him out. Jordana rubbed Luther's head and the pair exited the larder, Jordana closing the door behind her. Jensen was in the middle of some long winded explanation as they approached. He suddenly leant forward and whispered in a suspicious manner. Nan's expression turned from confusion to annoyance and then finally settled on disgust. Then she looked at Luther who was peering at her with his big, brown eyes and whined softly.

Nan groaned and gave him a few pieces of dried meat and looked at Jordana. "This is your doing."

Jordana wanted to retort but decided against it and allowed Luther to enjoy his snack. They managed to leave the kitchen without any more scolding and were relieved to be back out in the open again. Ser Gilmore bid them farewell and headed off somewhere. Jensen and Jordana continued to walk towards Fergus' quarters. Eleanor was still sitting in the Atrium, enjoying the light breeze and waiting patiently for her children to return. When they approached, she got to her feet and her eyes lingered on the Mabari.

"I see you have now resolved the issue in the kitchen."

Jordana nodded. "Nan is back to work as we speak."

"Excellent."

"Did you know there is a Grey Warden here?" Jensen suddenly asked. "Duncan? He says he's recruiting."

Eleanor frowned. "You haven't gotten it into your head that you want to be recruited?" Her eyes darted between them suspiciously.

"No, Mother," Jordana answered maturely, much to the surprise of everyone. "Hearing stories of what the Grey Wardens have done is one thing…but quite another to do it yourself. Besides, I'm terrible at doing what I'm told."

Eleanor smiled. "You'll get no argument from me." Then she looked at Jensen. "What about you?"

"I…don't know," he answered honestly. "I can see the appeal. I get the fascination with the Wardens but the stories we were told…those aren't entirely true and just the best possible version. Even so, I couldn't leave Highever."

"I'm proud of you both," Eleanor told them with a smile and then looked at Jensen once again. "Go on ahead. I need to speak with your sister."

Jensen smiled and nodded, leaving them alone. Jordana waited until he was out of earshot and looked down at the floor.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this, Mother," she admitted seriously.

Eleanor closed the distance between them and softened her expression. "As do I. Your father and brothers are marching off to fight Maker-knows-what. All the assurances in the world don't comfort me. But it wouldn't help for us to take up arms and follow. Fergus, Jensen and your father have their duty and we have ours."

Jordana sighed heavily. "I know. It's just…I'm so used to having Jensen around. He's always been there to look out for me. I don't know what I'll do while he's gone."

Eleanor pulled her into a tight hug. "Everything will be fine, darling."

They separated and Jordana smiled at her mother. "Thanks. I should probably catch up. I want to see Fergus off."

"I love you, my darling girl. You know that, don't you?"

"I love you too, Mother."

Jordana continued on her way towards Fergus' room. By the time she got there, Fergus and Jensen were cracking lame jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood, more for Oren's benefit than anything. Luther immediately ran over to the young boy and licked his face in greeting.

"And here is my little sister to see me off," Fergus greeted lightly when he saw her.

Jordana smiled. "You think I wouldn't miss the chance to remind you that while you're off travelling in the muddy wilderness, I'll be home sleeping in a warm bed?"

Fergus chuckled. "And I'll miss you too, Sister."

Jordana hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Look after yourself, Brother."

Fergus hugged her tightly. "I will. And try not to raze the castle to the ground while I'm gone."

Jordana took a step back and shrugged. "No promises."

"Perhaps it is a good thing your mother asked me to help you," Oriana added with a smile.

Jordana returned her smile and Jensen went up to Fergus. They clasped arms in the accepted manly fashion and then hugged.

"Be careful, Fergus," he told him. "And try to leave some Darkspawn for me."

Fergus chuckled. "I'm sure there'll be plenty to go around."

"Did you deliver Father's message?" Jordana asked Jensen.

Fergus sighed in irritation. "You'd think the Arl's men were walking backwards."

"I'm sure they'll get here soon," Jensen reassured. There was no reason to worry Fergus with everything that was already on his mind.

Fergus was not convinced. "Well, I'd better get underway. So many Darkspawn to behead, so little time. Off we go then. I'll see you soon, my love." He kissed Oriana goodbye and ruffled Oren's hair fondly.

Bryce and Eleanor suddenly entered the room.

"I would hope, dear boy, that you planned to wait for us before taking your leave?" Bryce teased.

"Be well, my son," Eleanor told Fergus with a hug. "I will pray for your safety every day that you are gone."

Oriana, seeing that the whole family was together, decided to ask for the Maker's blessing. "The Maker sustain and preserve us all. Watch over our sons, husbands and fathers and bring them back safely to us."

"And bring us some ale and wenches while you're at it," Fergus interjected lightly. "Err…for the men, of course."

Jordana and Jensen grinned in amusement. It must have been a family thing to ruin the moment so completely.

"_Fergus_! You would say this in front of your mother?" Oriana demanded in disapproval.

Before anyone could respond, Oren frowned and asked a question. "What's a wench? Is that what you pull on to get the bucket out of the well?"

Jordana fought extremely hard not to burst out laughing. Oren was so innocent, unlike his father.

"A wench is a woman that pours the ale in a tavern, Oren," Bryce explained with an amused smirk.

"Or a woman who drinks a lot of ale," Jensen added.

Fergus, Bryce and Jensen started to chuckle while Oren looked on in confusion. Jordana was smirking because she knew that if she laughed, her mother would not approve.

"Maker's breath," Eleanor said with a light chuckle. "It's like living with a group of small boys. Thankfully, I have a daughter."

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that that is a legitimate argument."

Eleanor chuckled again. "I suppose not."

They all said their final farewells and watched Fergus leave. Jordana held Oren's hand as the young boy was struggling not to cry and Jensen had placed a reassuring hand on Oriana's shoulder. Eleanor and Bryce comforted each other. It was hard to watch Fergus leave to fight in a war. At least, it was against the Darkspawn and not a civil war. Darkspawn stuck out pretty well whereas traitors were impossible to see until it was too late. Once Jordana was sure that Oren would be all right, she said good night to everyone and headed for bed, Luther following close behind. Jensen hung around for a little while longer and then he, too, called it a night. Tomorrow would certainly be a busy day and they would all need as much rest as possible.


	2. Loss

**Hello, loyal readers. I've noticed that there has been some interest in this story lately and I thank you for that so I decided to put this chapter up. I would still love to hear feedback from you (anyone can review, whether you are a member or not although I will remove any offensive reviews). Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**And a quick thank you to Goldenheart06 for adding this story to your favourites. **

**For those of you who are fans of my **_**Mass Effect**_** stories, updates should follow later this week.**

**Chapter 2: Loss**

Jordana was lying in bed on her back and staring at the ceiling. It was late, well past midnight. Silver moonlight streamed in through the window on the wall that was opposite her bed. Luther was curled up in a ball, fast asleep, on a blanket next to her bed along the wall that was opposite to the bedroom door. Jordana had gotten a bit of sleep but she just couldn't stop thinking. There was so much going on.

Fergus had ridden off to war and Jensen and her father would be joining him soon. They would face Darkspawn which in this age was the proverbial bogeyman and there was no telling what would happen. Arl Howe's men were delayed for whatever reason – the excuse of poor weather still didn't sit right – and he was staying up late, talking with her father. The presence of the Warden-Commander was also unnerving even if he was more interested in recruiting Ser Gilmore. Things at Ostagar must be far worse than they all assumed. And then there was taking over as teyrna of Highever while her mother was away. Although Oriana would be helping, it would still be a daunting task.

Lying in bed, there was little else to occupy her mind and this meant that Jordana was already agonizing over imagined problems and how she would attempt to resolve them. In the latest of these scenarios, her decisions resulted in the people rising against her for failing to protect them from an invasion by the dire bunnies. Maker, she blamed Oren for this one and her all too tired mind. First day of ruling Highever was going to be…interesting with a lack of sleep. If only she could have gone back to the days of thinking about meeting her knight in shining armour. Even though Jordana was fully aware that fairy tales and "happily ever after" didn't exist in real life, it sure made everything look simpler and more optimistic.

Just as her eyelids started to close, strange noises drifted in the darkness. These sounds were soft and sounded distant. Jordana thought it was just her tired mind working some serious overtime but Luther suddenly woke up and went straight to her bedroom door. His ears were straight up and his head low. Jordana stopped breathing and strained her ears, listening. If she didn't know any better, she would have guessed that there was a battle going on further down the corridor. The sound of steel against steel was extremely recognisable, especially in the silence of the night. But that was ridiculous…wasn't it? Castle Cousland was one of the safest and heavily fortified castles in the region, if not Fereldan (second only to Denerim, of course). There was no way armed soldiers could have gotten inside the walls without sounding the alarm…right?

Luther tore his attention away from the door and focused his brown eyes on Jordana. There was some emotion there that Jordana did not like and it made her feel restless. There wouldn't be any harm in investigating. It's not like she was sleeping or anything. She quickly got out of bed and opened the wooden chest beside her bed and behind the door. Inside, there was her light leather armour, her twin fighting daggers, a quiver filled with arrows and her bow. They were all of better quality than the practice gear they usually used and it was kept only in the event of an emergency. As far as Jordana was concerned, this definitely classified as an emergency.

No sooner had she put on her weapons and armour than the door was abruptly kicked in. The wood splintered and a few large pieces of wood skittered across the floor. Two arrows were immediately fired into the mattress of her bed and if she had still been lying there, it would have killed her instantly. Just as the intruders started to realise the bed was actually empty, Jordana kicked the door and it hit the two soldiers. Before they could react, Luther stepped in and killed them both. That had been…unexpected. She walked around her door and knelt beside the bodies of the two soldiers, trying to figure out what was going on. There wasn't much time to do anything until another pair of soldiers charged at her. They both had a sword and a shield.

Jordana got to her feet and prepared an arrow. Just as she was about to fire, someone let out a loud battle cry and attracted the attention of pretty much everyone. Jensen came charging out of his room with his own sword and shield at the ready. The moment the soldiers turned their backs to face the new threat, Jordana fired an arrow and killed one of the soldiers. Jensen threw his weight behind his shield and knocked the other soldier off balance. As the soldier attempted to regain his balance, Jensen stabbed him through the chest with his sword. There was a moment of silence. Jensen then looked up worriedly to make sure his sister was fine. Jordana couldn't stop herself from staring at the dead men in front of her.

"Jordana? Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I…guess so," she answered and then the soldiers' shields caught her eye. "Isn't….isn't that the heraldry of Amaranthine?"

Jensen tore his eyes away from his sister and looked at the shield. "You're right. But…what are they doing?"

They then looked at each other and they both realised the answer at the same time.

She shook her head in disbelief. "This can't be happening."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps coming from behind reached their ears. Jordana spun around on the spot with an arrow at the ready and Jensen changed his stance to a defensive one. They were both surprised when they saw their mother approach, breathless and worried. She was wearing her own armour with a bow and quiver of arrows on her back. It was pretty obvious that she was just as confused as them. Jordana rushed over and hugged her mother tightly, relief spilling over.

"Mother," Jensen greeted in relief too.

"I heard fighting outside and feared the worst," Eleanor said once they separated. "Are you hurt?"

Jordana shook her head and Jensen answered. "We're unharmed, Mother. Not for a lacking of trying on their part, however."

"Do you know what's going on?" Jordana asked and refused to look at the dead man lying outside her room.

Eleanor was quiet for a moment as she tried to recount the events. "A scream woke me. There were men in the hall so I barred the door."

"These are Howe's men, Mother," Jensen said and directed her gaze to the shields.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Why would they attack us?"

Jordana had one thought in mind but she didn't want to say it out loud. This would only make it true and she was still holding onto the thought that this was all some horrible nightmare.

"Howe has betrayed Father," Jensen said angrily.

Eleanor wasn't quite convinced. "You don't think his men were delayed…on purpose?"

"It makes sense," Jordana answered quietly. "Howe's been on edge and his explanation for the delay just didn't feel right. He was particularly annoyed when the Warden-Commander arrived too."

"That bastard! I'll cut his lying throat myself!" Eleanor declared with such venom that Jordana was caught completely by surprise.

"But why betray Father now?" Jordana asked. "There's a Blight brewing in the South. We need to stand together."

Jensen gave her a strange look. "You can't be that naïve."

"No," Jordana answered and shook her head. "But I'd like to be."

Eleanor suddenly gasped. "Have you seen your father? He never came to bed."

Jensen shook his head. "No, Father was still up when I went to bed. He mentioned something about…" His expression suddenly fell.

"What?" Eleanor and Jordana asked anxiously.

"He planned on staying up with Arl Howe," Jensen finished.

Eleanor looked like someone had punched her in the stomach. "We have to find him," she said desperately.

Jordana suddenly realised something. "We need to check in on Oren and Oriana too."

"Andraste's mercy! What if they went into your brother's room first?" Eleanor asked hopelessly.

No one wanted to answer that question. There was still some hope that they would be all right…not much but it was still there. Jensen and Luther took over as leads and Eleanor and Jordana followed close behind. Jordana's heart sank as they approached Fergus' room. The door had been kicked in violently and it was barely hanging onto its hinges. As they approached, they could see Oriana and Oren, lying on the floor. It was clear from their pale skin and bleeding wounds that they were dead. Eleanor collapsed to her knees and Jordana was frozen in position. She wanted to look away but she just couldn't tear her eyes from them. If only she had realised what was going on sooner, perhaps she could have saved them.

"What kind of monster kills a little boy?" Eleanor demanded in anguish. "They aren't even taking prisoners."

"The kind of monster that deserves no mercy," Jensen answered angrily and then his voice softened. "Come on, Mother. We need to move."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, you're right." She got to her feet and pulled Jordana along with her.

When they heard more soldiers approaching, Jordana finally tore her eyes away from her little nephew. A part of her wanted nothing more than to rip the hearts out of the men responsible while the other part of her was struggling to accept everything that was going on. So many dead…A soldier's sword hit against Jensen's shield and the loud noise caused Jordana to finally snapped out of it. She drew an arrow and fired it at another archer that was standing some distance away while her mother killed a second archer. Jensen and Luther made quick work of the last few in the hallway. They progressed further down the corridor and Eleanor suddenly veered right to Lady Landra's quarters. This door was also wide open. They remained a respectable distance back while Eleanor investigated.

Jordana looked at her brother and was surprised by the amount of anger she could see. It was obviously understandable but never in her entire life had she seen him _this_ angry, not even when she pulled all of those pranks on him when they were growing up. There was no sadness, no grief, no pain…just anger and hatred. There wasn't even any guilt about the men he had killed. Even though he had been prepared for this ever since they were children, this was the first time either of them had killed someone. Jordana expected…something. Eleanor returned after a few minutes with a crestfallen expression and shook her head. Lady Landra had also been killed.

"What of Dairren and Iona?" Jordana asked.

Eleanor's voice was thick with emotion. "I didn't see any sign of them. Perhaps they were able to escape."

Jordana felt some relief. She had never particularly liked Dairren – he complained too much and didn't appreciate what he had, only what he couldn't get – but she never wished him any harm…only that he would stop proposing to her. She strongly hoped that he was able to escape this…lunacy. Jensen was standing with his head cocked to the side, a tense expression on his face.

"It sounds like there's fighting everywhere in the castle," he remarked.

"Your father must be by the front gates," Eleanor suddenly decided.

"And what if he isn't?" Jordana asked quietly.

"Then we search the whole damn castle and kill every one of Howe's men until we find him," Jensen answered impatiently.

Eleanor gave her son a worried look although she said nothing about his change in behaviour. "We also need to go to the Treasury. I still have my key. If anything in this castle is worth saving, it's the Cousland Blade. We cannot let that fall into Howe's hands."

Jensen looked like he was about to argue with her and then decided against it. "Then we need to move."

They continued to fight their way through the castle as they headed towards the Treasury. Jordana had accepted that she would be killing more people and had reasoned that it was self-defence. Howe's men had decided to try to kill her and her family. They had forfeited their lives. While it didn't make it any easier to deal with, it at least allowed Jordana to focus with grim determination. She had already lost too much to lose her brother and her mother too. They finally reached the Treasury. The guard's room in front was in a state of chaos. One guard lay dead and a few of Howe's men had also been killed. Much of the furniture had been tossed aside or broken.

As they approached the door to the Treasury, there were marks on the lock which Jordana immediately recognised as an attempt to pick the lock. A feeling of unease settled on her and she turned to look at the others.

"Someone tried to pick the lock," she said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Perhaps Howe's men have set a trap to wait for us to open the Treasury?" Jensen mused.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Jordana replied.

Eleanor handed her the key. "Go and get the sword. We'll wait out here and guard the door."

Jordana nodded and took the key without a word. It wasn't an ideal situation but it was the best they could do under the circumstances. She opened the door and entered the Treasury. The room was long and practically empty. There were two armour stands and two weapon racks that she passed as she walked towards the chest at the opposite end of the room. She opened the chest with a second key that was attached to the first. The Cousland Sword was lying in the bottom of the chest in its sheath and wrapped tightly in fabric to help protect it. She took it out and secured it on her back. There was also a purse that contained quite a bit of money. There was no guarantee of how this would play out and so Jordana took the small bag and tied it securely to her belt, locking the chest when she closed it.

There was also a one of a kind shield that she recognised as the birthday gift her parents had especially made for Jensen as their birthday was coming up soon. It was a kite shield made from the finest metals money could buy. It had been smithed in such a way that the metal would retain its strength without weighing a lot. It would protect him without weighing him down. It also had the Cousland family crest on the front. Jordana picked it up and then noticed a finely crafted longbow leaning against the wall just behind it. She picked it up experimentally and was surprised by the weight. The wood was strong and had originally appeared heavy but it was surprisingly light. The Cousland crest was also carved into the wood although it was more artistic and spanned the entire length of wood. Her parents had put a lot of thought into these gifts.

Jordana hurried out the Treasury and locked the door behind her. There was no sense in making things easy for Howe. There were other weapons and armour of extremely high quality still locked within but they had no time to take it with them. Without a word, she handed the shield to Jensen and swapped her bow. Eleanor gave them an approving nod and they were about to retrace their steps out of the room when a large group of Howe's men rushed them. Jensen picked up his old shield and threw it at the soldiers as soon as they entered the door. It knocked the first soldier to the floor and unbalanced the rest. Jordana and Eleanor used this opening to fire arrows through the doorway and killed the soldiers before they could set foot in the room. The one or two that managed to get past were killed quickly by Luther and Jensen.

As they fought their way towards the Main Hall, more of Howe's men attacked. They even came across a few of the Highever Guards that were locked in battle. Every man they saved was another man on their side. It wouldn't be enough to force Howe out of Castle Cousland but it might just be enough to help them find Bryce. Slowly but surely, they drew closer to the Main Hall. When they arrived, they were surprised by what they saw. The room was crowded with Howe's men and Highever Guards. The door was being pounded from the other side and the wood groaned loudly beneath the force. While there was no sign of her father, Jordana was relieved to see Ser Gilmore was alive.

Luther wasted no time and charged into the fray almost immediately, tackling a soldier who had his back towards the war hound. Eleanor took up position near the door they had just entered through and Jensen rushed to Ser Gilmore's side. They had enough experience fighting together that they soon fell into a deadly rhythm and were able to kill many soldiers in a matter of minutes. Jordana was about to start firing arrows when she noticed that there was a mage among Howe's soldiers. The mage was casting offensive spells at the Highever Guards and defensive spells at Howe's men. Jordana made a split second decision to go after this mage herself. Jensen would not approve. Neither would her mother. As long as she defeated this mage, they could yell at her all they wanted.

Jordana ran into the chaos, dancing around the soldiers and evading the occasional sword that was swung at her. Luther had noticed what his mistress was doing and started to clear the way for her. As Jordana drew nearer, she quickly fired an arrow at the mage. While she never actually expected it to kill the mage, she was still disappointed when it hit her in the arm. It at least slowed down the casting. The mage immediately locked onto Jordana and started to send spells at her. Jordana rolled out of the way of the first few and placed her bow on her back in a single lithe movement. Once she was back on her feet, she immediately drew one of her daggers and threw it at the mage, aiming for her chest.

The mage stopped casting her next spell and looked down in surprise. She lifted her eyes again and looked at Jordana in horror before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Jordana rushed forward and retrieved her dagger. The mage's expression would forever be burned into her memory. It took a few moments for her to realise that the battle was over and she walked back towards her mother, still thinking about the mage she had just killed. Ser Gilmore approached after he ordered the remaining guards to reinforce the doors and he was the picture of relief.

"Your Ladyship, my lady, my lord. You're all alive," he greeted. "I was certain Howe's men had gotten through."

"Technically, they did," Jensen replied. "But through no fault of your own. You've done an impressive job of holding them."

Ser Gilmore bowed his head. "When I realised what was happening, it was all I could do to shut the gates."

"This took us all by surprise, Ser Gilmore," Eleanor reassured. "No one could have prepared for this."

Ser Gilmore appreciated the sentiment and smiled for a moment before turning serious again. "The gates won't keep Howe's men out long. If you've another way out of the castle, use it quickly."

"Have you seen Bryce?" Eleanor asked desperately.

Ser Gilmore's expression did not inspire much hope. "When I last saw the Teyrn, he'd been badly wounded. I urged him not to go but he was determined to find you. He went towards the kitchens. I believe he thought to find you at the servants' exit in the larder."

"Come with us, Roland," Jordana urged. She couldn't bear the thought that she might lose another friend. It was getting to be too much.

The knight smiled at her sadly. "I wish I could, my lady, but my duty is here. I must hold the gate and buy you time to escape."

Jensen and Ser Gilmore grasped each other's forearms.

"May your blade be sharp," Jensen told him.

"And your shield strong," Ser Gilmore added.

"Maker watch over you," Eleanor said.

Ser Gilmore glanced at Jordana once and then turned to face the doors. "Maker watch over all of us."

Eleanor grabbed Jordana's wrist and pulled her out of the Main Hall, behind Jensen and Luther. More of Howe's men were waiting for them outside and attacked. Jordana took out her bow and continued to fire arrows, barely even registering the people she was killing. She had just gone numb and it was the only way to keep it together until they found Bryce. They pushed forward and were able to reach the kitchens. Luther whined sadly when he found Nan's lifeless body. The other servants had also been killed and Jordana looked to her brother. Jensen appeared sad for a moment before his anger resurfaced, stronger than before. Eleanor cautiously opened the larder door and then rushed in. Jordana and Jensen hurried after her. Bryce was slumped against the wall and was having difficulty breathing. His left hand was pressed against his right side.

"There you are," he greeted and he was having a hard time trying to get the words out. "I was wondering when you would get here."

Eleanor rushed over to Bryce's side and then looked down in shock. "Maker's blood! What's happening? You're bleeding."

Jordana and Jensen rushed over together and knelt at their father's side. Jordana refused to accept what was happening.

"Howe's men…found me first. Almost…did me in…right there," he explained through ragged gasps.

Jordana fought hard against the tears that were forming. "You're all right, aren't you, Father? You have to be all right."

Bryce looked at her sadly. "If only sheer will could make it so, my darling girl."

"How did you get here?" Jensen suddenly asked. "You can hardly move."

"Duncan…found me. Brought me here," he answered.

"And left you lying in your own blood?" Eleanor demanded in insult. "We must get you out of here."

"I…I won't survive the standing, I think," Bryce said in anguish.

Jordana shook her head. "You have to survive, Father. I'll…I'll drag you out myself."

Bryce lifted up a shaky hand and cupped her face. "You must be strong, pup. Someone…must reach Fergus…and tell him what has happened."

"We have to get you out of here. Find a healer or a mage. Someone _has _to help," she stammered, ignoring his earlier statement.

"The castle is surrounded…I cannot make it," Bryce admitted.

Tears started to run down her cheek and Jensen pulled her into a hug, his eyes focused on the floor. When he heard footsteps approaching, he immediately drew his sword and Luther lowered his head, ready to pounce if need be. Much to their surprise, Duncan entered the room and sheathed his sword as he did so. There was some blood on his armour and he had obviously been fighting. But had he been fighting for Highever or against them? Jordana couldn't help thinking this and Jensen must have shared the thought because his eyes narrowed suspiciously and he tightened his arm around Jordana in a protective hug.

"I'm afraid the Teyrn is correct," Duncan began softly and his eyes held sadness within their brown depths. "Howe's men have not yet discovered this exit but they surround the castle. Getting past will be difficult."

"You are…Duncan then? The Grey Warden?" Eleanor asked worriedly, perhaps doubting his loyalties too.

"Yes, Your Ladyship. The Teyrn and I tried to reach you sooner," Duncan answered and quickly glanced over his shoulder. "There were too many soldiers to fight to find you sooner."

"My son and daughter helped me get here, Maker be praised," Eleanor admitted and returned her attention to her husband.

"I am not surprised."

Jensen gave the Grey Warden an annoyed look. "We can't stay here."

"Whatever has to be done must be done quickly," Eleanor agreed.

"Duncan…I beg you…take my wife and children to safety!" Bryce begged desperately.

"I will, Your Lordship," Duncan answered slowly. "But…I fear I must ask for something in return."

"Anything!"

"What is happening here pales in comparison to the evil now loose in the world. I came to your castle seeking a recruit. The Darkspawn threat demands that I leave with one," the Grey Warden explained.

"I…I understand," Bryce answered.

Jordana and Jensen looked to their father then to Duncan and then back to their father in disbelief.

"No. I will not leave without you, Father," Jordana argued, suddenly angry.

"We have to stick together," Jensen added, just as angrily.

"You must. You must look after your mother and you must find Fergus. Duncan will get you out safely." He took Jordana's hand and looked to Jensen. "I love you both."

"I love you too, Father," she said shakily and Jensen looked back to the floor.

Eleanor knelt beside Bryce. "Darlings, go with Duncan. You have a better chance to escape without me."

"Mother…" Jordana began to argue.

"No, Eleanor. You must go," Bryce said in surprise.

Jensen lifted his gaze and looked at his mother, all hope gone.

Eleanor shook her head. "Hush, Bryce. I'll kill every bastard that comes through that door to buy them time. But I won't abandon you."

Jordana couldn't hold on much longer. "I love you both so much," she said as tears ran freely down her cheeks.

"I love you too," Jensen told them and started to stand, bringing Jordana to her feet with him.

"Then live, darling. Become a Grey Warden and do what is right."

"I'm so sorry it's come to this, love," Bryce apologised.

"We had a good life and did all we could. It's up to our children now."

"Then…go. Warn your brother. And know that we love you all. You do us proud."

The sounds of the gate crashing went unnoticed to Jordana and Jensen tensed at the loud noise. Duncan indicated that it was time to leave and Jensen tried to pull Jordana along with him. It was no use. She refused to move. Jensen then picked her up and carried her as he ran after the Grey Warden. When they were out of the larder and beyond the walls of Castle Cousland, she buried her face in Jensen's shoulder, trying to convince herself that this had been a horrible nightmare.

* * *

It had been three days since Arl Howe had taken Castle Cousland. Duncan had led Jordana, Jensen and Luther through the Wilderness to make it difficult to be tracked and they had run non-stop since they left to cover as much ground as possible. There had been no sign of pursuers though. Jordana and Jensen had not yet said a word – to each other or to Duncan. They were too exhausted and had much to grieve. In a single night, everyone and everything had been stolen from them in the worst way possible: a betrayal from a man their father considered to be a friend. Eventually, Duncan found a good place to stay for the night and it didn't take long for them to make a basic camp.

Duncan had built a fire and had already started to make some food from his leftover supplies and whatever he could scavenge while Jordana and Jensen sat on the floor in silence. Jordana had her knees against her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs. Jensen was sitting on a fallen log and was staring into the fire. Luther had curled up in a ball beside Jordana and he was watching her closely. When the food was ready, Duncan dished it into three bowls. Jensen took it without a problem and started to eat immediately. Jordana refused to tear her eyes away from the fire or acknowledge what the Grey Warden was offering. If she had been honest, she didn't feel hungry. Instead, she felt sick to her stomach.

"You have to eat something, my lady," he urged.

Jordana finally looked at the bowl and then took it with shaky hands, eating it slowly. There were too many things running through her mind and she just felt so numb. How could someone lose so much and continue to feel? When she looked over at Jensen and saw the anger burning in his eyes, she knew that in that instant, he would always be stronger than her. He always had been and would continue to do so. When she looked away, she noticed Duncan was watching them both.

"I have a question I must ask," Duncan said when they had both finished eating.

Jordana and Jensen both looked up.

"I promised your father I would get you to safety in return that one of you agrees to become a Grey Warden. I intend to keep my word and as such, you must decide who will join my Order," he explained. "The life of a Grey Warden is not an easy one and this decision cannot be taken lightly."

Jordana and Jensen looked at each other, trying to decide what the best course of action would be. The Grey Wardens were heroes, after all and with that title came a lot of responsibility and high demands that needed to be met. But she didn't want to be a hero. All she wanted was to go back in time and stop Arl Howe from destroying her home and killing everyone she loved; everyone who had been a part of her life. Only a second had passed when Jordana realised her brother had already made his decision.

Jensen looked at Duncan. "Will joining the Grey Wardens let me take vengeance on Howe?"

"Grey Wardens must rise above such things," Duncan ordered evenly. "However, once the Darkspawn threat has been dealt with, I believe you will get such an opportunity."

"Then I will join the Grey Wardens," he decided firmly.

Jordana frowned. Vengeance was not a reason to give up your life to an order that made it their goal to protect the people. But she couldn't bring herself to argue. Jensen had made his decision and he would not be persuaded. That much was clear. And she didn't want to risk angering him. He was pretty much all she had left. There was no telling where Fergus was or what Howe had planned for him. Jordana didn't want to get her hopes up and then be completely and utterly devastated.

"Do you accept your brother's decision, Jordana?" Duncan enquired.

She nodded in answer. There was no way she would make a good Grey Warden. Jensen was another matter entirely. He had been trained to live the life of a soldier and he had been prepared to, one day, take command. He would do well as a Grey Warden. They decided to try to get some sleep. There was a lot of ground to cover in the morning and they were all exhausted. Jordana got comfortable and closed her eyes. An uneasy sleep followed and she was plagued by images of the people she had loved that now lay dead; of her mother and father in the larder; of the people she had killed and, finally, the mocking face of Arl Rendon Howe.

Jordana woke with a start and was breathing fast in a panic. Luther immediately got to his feet and sat down beside her. It took her a few minutes to realise where she was and what happened. Her breathing started to slow and she wrapped her arms around Luther's neck, hugging him tightly, and burying her face in his fur to calm herself down. This was just too much to deal with. She wanted to pray to the Maker for forgiveness or to protect Fergus but then she realised…why would He have allowed Oren to be murdered? What had he ever done to deserve such a fate? Or Ser Gilmore. He was a kind man. Her parents definitely did not deserve to die like this. Jordana slowly released her hold on Luther and then noticed her hands were trembling.

"This was your first battle," a voice remarked softly.

She closed her hands into tight fists to stop the trembling and slowly looked up. Duncan was still sitting where he had been before she went to sleep and he was staring into the fire. It didn't look like he had moved or tried to get some sleep of his own. He slowly lifted his gaze from the fire and settled it on Jordana, smiling gently.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of," he said. "Very few handle their first battles with the grace and poise that is expected."

Jordana got up and sat down beside Duncan. "How do you move past it?"

"You accept what you have done and know that there was no other option left open to you," he answered softly.

"I feel like this was my fault," she told him abruptly. "I had a bad feeling about Howe since the moment I met him and I heard fighting when I was trying to sleep. Maybe if I'd have said something or if I realised what was going on sooner…"

"This was not your fault, Jordana," Duncan told her with enough force that said he honestly believed it. "Howe is nothing but a man looking for power wherever he can get it. If not Highever then somewhere else. You had no way of knowing what could have happened. It may not feel like it now but you and your brother were victorious."

Jordana frowned. "How do you figure that?"

"Howe meant to kill you all, wipe out the entire Cousland line," Duncan answered. "The fact that you still draw breath means that he has failed."

"He won't stop until he's succeeded, will he?"

Duncan shook his head. "I do not believe so. While you are still alive, you pose a threat."

Jordana sighed in defeat. She was alive now but how long could that last? Jensen wouldn't always be there to save her and nothing was beyond Howe. He was capable of doing anything.

"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for," Duncan said when the silence dragged on.

Jordana looked up in surprise. "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Jensen."

"I don't believe that," Duncan replied. "I meant what I said to your father. You would also make an excellent candidate for the Grey Wardens and know that I do not mean any flattery when I say it. Grey Wardens are chosen, not trained."

She was silent for a few minutes, trying to decide if this was true or if Duncan was just attempting to make her feel better. Then she looked over at Jensen. He was still fast asleep, snoring softly. He always was a heavy sleeper.

"It was different for him," she said. "Mother and Father always prepared him to be a soldier. They taught him how to be strong and what to expect. He always knew he would have to take a life some day; it was only a matter of time and he made peace with it. Me? Mother and Father were just humouring me, allowing their little girl to play the warrior. I don't think I even took it seriously. It was just something I would have in common with my parents and my brothers. I was always going to be married off to some stuck up noble who frowned upon a woman knowing how to fight. It's my duty. The possibility that I might kill someone…it never crossed my mind."

"The first time is always the hardest," Duncan reassured with such sincerity that it must be true.

"Does it ever get easier?"

"No. The day it does is the day you stop," he answered.

Jordana looked at Duncan and somehow, he had managed to make her feel a bit better. It still hurt to think about everything that had happened but she no longer felt ashamed of how she handled herself. There was still guilt though.

"You need sleep, Jordana," he ordered her gently and then smiled reassuringly. "If I see you're having bad dreams, I'll wake you."

She was not entirely convinced that sleeping would be a good idea. Then again, her entire body was exhausted as was her mind. She needed sleep otherwise she would not be able to function. Luther was still sitting where she had left him and he was keeping an eye on her. Jordana sighed heavily and returned to her spot, lying down on the ground on her side with her back towards Jensen. Luther walked over and lay down parallel to her and she wrapped an arm around him like the old teddy bear she used to sleep with when she was a child. Between Luther and Jensen, Jordana realised she was not as alone as she first thought. She focused on Jensen's soft snoring and Luther's steady breathing, eventually drifting off into a light sleep.

When she woke, Jensen and Duncan were already up. It was still early though. The sun was just starting to rise above the horizon. Perhaps Jensen was also having a heart to heart with Duncan or they were talking about Grey Warden business. Either way, they fell silent went Jordana went to join them. At any other time, this would have offended her. She and Jensen kept no secrets from each other. But given recent events, there was too much to worry about. Jensen passed her a piece of bread and cheese. It wasn't exactly the sort of breakfast she was used to eating but she was grateful for it anyway. It must have been the leftovers of Duncan's supplies when he travelled to Highever. She started to eat slowly.

"I believe that your lives are still in danger," Duncan announced. "Therefore I think it best if we take a few precautions. While travelling to Ostagar, we'll avoid popular roads and people as much as possible as long as it doesn't slow us down. While at Ostagar, it might be best to keep your identity secret for as long as possible. I'm sure King Cailan will agree, given your history. It will also be safer if you both stick together. There will be times when Jordana cannot be present because of Grey Warden business though."

"I understand," she said quietly.

Jensen nodded. "I agree. With any luck, we'll be able to find Fergus before Howe does."

Luck hadn't exactly been on their side so why would it start now? Once they finished eating their breakfast, they started to pack up what little there was and got rid of any evidence that they had been there at all. With Duncan in the lead, Jordana and Jensen followed in silence. Luther trotted along behind them, occasionally darting off to chase a rabbit or a bird and then returning once again. It was going to be a long walk to Ostagar.


	3. The Wilds

**Thank you for the favourites, alerts and reviews. I will be continuing this story but updates might be a bit erratic. Hopefully, not too erratic. And I know my solution to carrying around the Cousland Blade is a little bit "out there" and random but I think it works rather well, given the situation and the lack of other options.**

**Please enjoy and I'd love to hear some feedback.**

**Chapter 3: The Wilds**

It took a few days of travelling and a couple of detours until they finally arrived at the ruins of Ostagar. The ruins had fallen into a state of disrepair over the years and most of the walls had crumbled. A few statues were also missing various body parts – mostly the arms or their heads – and the plants were overgrown, attempting to reclaim the space that had been stolen from them long ago. Even so, Ostagar was still an intimidating place and it was a good defensive position. Most of the openings that had appeared had been closed off by the armies that now occupied the ruins. They passed through a large stone arch that overlooked a bridge that would lead them to the heart of Ostagar. A young man with blonde hair and gold armour, flanked by two guards, was steadily approaching.

Jordana and Jensen immediately recognised King Cailan although it had been a few years since they last saw each other. Cailan and Fergus had spent a lot of time together while growing up and this friendship was still as strong today. Jensen and Jordana had only met Cailan on a few occasions and these had usually been quick with little conversation beyond the pleasantries. Their last meeting had been brief and many months had passed since. Cailan greeted Duncan warmly and they discussed the upcoming battles. Cailan was still as enthusiastic as Jordana remembered. She always knew he would be good at spreading hope through his soldiers. Cailan then asked about Duncan's new recruit and was quite surprised when he saw the Cousland children.

"Jensen? Jordana?" he asked in surprise.

The twins bowed as was expected of them.

"It is good to see you again, King Cailan," Jordana greeted.

"It has been far too long since we last met, Your Highness," Jensen added.

"Please," Cailan waved them off. "Your brother is my closest friend. Call me Cailan. I am worried though. Fergus arrived days ago with Highever's army but we have heard nothing from your father."

Jensen and Jordana shared a look before Jordana looked to the floor in an attempt to hide her grief.

"He won't be coming, Cailan," Jensen answered.

Cailan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's dead," Jordana stated bluntly. It was an attempt to get the painful news out of the way as quickly as possible.

"Dead? How did that happen?" Cailan demanded and when the twins couldn't say anything more, he looked to the Warden-Commander. "Duncan, do you know what happened?"

Duncan nodded slowly. "I'm afraid Arl Howe has revealed himself to be a traitor. He took Highever as soon as the army was gone and killed the Teyrn and the Teyrna. We barely escaped with our lives. If we had not survived, it is likely that Howe would have told you any story he wished."

This had caught the king off guard and he started to pace while he collected his thoughts. An uneasy silence filled the space and Jordana watched the king anxiously. There wasn't much King Cailan could do with a Blight brewing and she didn't even know what she expected of him. Jensen, on the other hand, was expecting some sort of swift justice by the King. Once he stopped pacing, he took a breath.

"I am truly sorry for what has happened. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it now. I can only promise that Howe will be brought to justice soon, once the Darkspawn have been dealt with," King Cailan said and he meant every word of it. "All I can recommend is that you take your frustrations out on the Darkspawn for now."

"We understand," Jensen replied even though he sounded annoyed. "As long as Howe will be punished, then I can live with it."

Jordana looked up at Cailan. "Do you know where Fergus is? We need to tell him what happened."

"He is off with his men, scouting the Korcari Wilds. We don't expect him back until after the battle," Cailan answered.

Jordana had no idea whether this was good or bad news. There was the possibility that Fergus had avoided any attack from Howe while scouting or that Howe had already killed him and no one would notice until it was too late. She had to believe that Fergus was alive and well. He would be able to defend himself, after all. He wasn't some stuck up noble that was only good for whining. He was a soldier and this thought helped ease some of her anxiety.

"Thank you for the information," Jordana replied when she was sure her voice wouldn't break.

Duncan was silent for a moment. "I do have a favour to ask of you, King Cailan."

Cailan tore his attention away from the twins. "What do you need of me, Duncan?"

"Arl Howe has many allies and it is possible that Jordana and Jensen's lives are still in danger. I have little doubt that Howe will just give up," Duncan explained.

"I see your point," Cailan acknowledged. "You have a suggestion?"

"I think it would be best if we keep their identities and what has happened in Highever a secret," Duncan said. "At least until we are able to discover Howe's other plots or retake Highever."

"Agreed," Cailan answered. "No one will find out this information from me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go. Loghain insists on boring me with his battle plans."

The king departed and Duncan led the way across the bridge, talking about the Blight and how, even though he greatly respected the Grey Wardens, Cailan refused to wait for reinforcements from Orlais. Duncan also explained that although the Archdemon had not yet been sighted, he was confident that this was definitely a Blight but he did not say why. Once they crossed the bridge, Duncan stopped and turned to face them both.

"Feel free to explore this camp but I would prefer if you didn't leave it for the time being," he instructed. "It has been a long journey and tents have been sent aside for you. Tomorrow, Jensen will need to carry out a few Grey Warden duties. It shouldn't take long so Jordana, you will have the morning to yourself."

Duncan left them and walked in the direction of the Grey Warden camp. Jordana and Jensen took a few minutes to gain their bearings and even had a long conversation with a helpful guard. They decided it would be best to go have something to eat and then go to sleep. The next day was going to bring all sorts of new experiences for them both and they needed to be prepared for anything.

* * *

When Jordana woke in the morning, it was a little after sunrise and Jensen was already gone. She had managed to catch a few hours of sleep although there had been quite a few nightmares. Luther was still sleeping outside her tent. Jordana stretched and then took a few moments to take stock of everything. The Cousland Blade was extremely important to them and she couldn't take it with her, in case she lost it or it was damaged. It might even slow her down or make it hard for her to evade an attack. Then again, there was little chance of Jordana being involved in a fight for the next day. Leaving the Blade in the tent wasn't the most secure idea and it could possibly be stolen. Then she looked down at Luther and an idea occurred to her. She left her tent and sat down beside the war hound, scratching him behind his ears.

"Hey, boy," she greeted with more enthusiasm than she felt. "I have an important job for you."

Luther sat up straight and barked happily.

Jordana brought out the Cousland Blade that was still secure in its linen wrappings. "See this? It's extremely important and we can't lose it, okay? I want you to carry and protect it for me. Are you up to it?"

Luther barked again and licked her face.

Jordana smiled and scratched underneath his chin. "Excellent. We just need some rope. Let's go find a quartermaster."

She grabbed a piece of bread that was part of the supplies and then got to her feet. The camp was going to be interesting to navigate. With Luther at her side, Jordana started to walk around. They passed Cailan and Loghain's tents; a group of recruits getting introduced to the Darkspawn; a friendly mage by the name of Wynne and a lot of praying soldiers. They soon came across the quartermaster just as a female soldier stomped off sulkily. There was another young man hanging around. He was dressed in light leather armour and he was armed with a pair of daggers. His hair was black and he had a certain look about him…he just didn't look like a soldier. His gaze lingered on the soldier as she left and Jordana made sure to give him a wide berth.

The quartermaster readily allowed Jordana to examine his wares and a few things caught her eye. There was a backpack that looked a bit worn. Even so it looked like it would be able to carry a few objects that would come in handy. The quartermaster also sold her a couple of health poultices, more arrows so her quiver was full and then a few extras for the backpack, a length of rope, a few pieces of leather and some blank parchment with a quill and ink. She made sure not to make it obvious how much money she had when she paid and then left, placing the items in the pack as she walked. They returned to the tent and Luther stood at attention.

Jordana placed the backpack down and used the rope to tie the sword to Luther's side in a way that wouldn't compromise his own movement or possibly injure him. Then she used the leather she bought to reinforce the ropes at key places so it wouldn't fray or chafe against Luther. The war hound jumped around on the spot and ran around in a circle in both directions before pulling off a few of his combat moves while Jordana watched with an intense gaze to make sure her best friend wouldn't be put in danger. Luther then barked happily to announce that the sword did not bother him and he would be happy to protect it. Jordana smiled and she knew she made a good decision. Sure, it would look weird to other people but Luther would protect the sword and he wouldn't lose it. If he was in any danger, he could run off and likely find Fergus.

"Luther, I need to make something very clear," she said and knelt down so their faces were quite close and the war hound whined at the tone of voice. "If anything happens to me, you need to find Fergus and make sure he gets this sword, all right?"

Luther whined sadly and then looked at her again. Jordana could tell he didn't like her orders but he would follow them. She hugged him tightly and then pulled her new backpack towards her. There was a very particular reason why she bought the parchment and quill. With a shaky hand, she spread the parchment out in front of her and started to write in the elegant script her mother had taught her.

_Fergus_

_There is nothing I wouldn't give to not write this letter. Unfortunately, much has happened since you left Highever. I would prefer to tell you this in person but I fear events will force us apart. This is just a precaution, in case I cannot reach you._

_First, Arl Rendon Howe has betrayed Father. The night you left for Ostagar, his men arrived and attacked Castle Cousland. We were taken by surprise and could not fight back. We tried so hard but we were too late. I'm sorry, Brother. Oriana and Oren didn't make it. Neither did Mother and Father. Jensen and I are the only ones who were able to escape alive. Words cannot describe how sorry I am and I can only beg your forgiveness. You left me to protect your family and I failed._

_Secondly, Jensen is to become a Grey Warden. Duncan, the Warden-Commander, helped us to escape and this was the deal he made with Father in return for our safety. I do not know what will happen but Jensen has accepted this decision and is working hard to make Father proud._

_Thirdly, your life may be in danger. As the new Teyrn of Highever, you can challenge Howe's claim. We do not know if he will try to hunt you down or who his allies are so be careful. Trust no one and watch yourself. We have the Cousland Blade with us._

_Finally, as long as I am able, I will try to find you. You deserve to have everything told in person. It will be difficult but it is necessary. Please stay alive, Brother. I can't lose you too. If this letter finds you before I do, know that I love you and that King Cailan has promised to take the army to Highever once the Darkspawn threat is over. Please be careful._

_Jordana_

She read the letter a few times and then sighed sadly. This letter had been hard to write and while it didn't contain everything that had happened, it had the most important facts that Fergus needed to know. So much had changed in such a short amount of time that Jordana didn't want to make any concrete plans, just in case they fell apart. She quickly folded the letter into a small square and then got to her feet. She used her lips to hold the letter while she attempted to put the small backpack on underneath her quiver of arrows. It was hard to make it comfortable but once she was satisfied, she headed off into the camp once more with the letter clutched tightly in her hand.

As she walked, a few soldiers gave Luther a bemused glance but they said nothing. Eventually, they came across a large banner with the Highever heraldry on it planted outside a large tent. It bore the colours of the Highever War Council. This included the most experienced soldiers and the more powerful nobles in the Highever army. They would sit down and discuss battle plans together to make sure everyone knew what was going on and to make it easier to move different classes to where they would be best suited. They were also responsible for sending Fergus off to scout. Jordana took a deep breath before approaching the tent. These men – while they served her – were always intimidating and gruff.

She used her arm to lift up the tent flap and entered. There was a large wooden table in the centre of the tent with a large map spread out on the table. A few small figurines that represented the various armies and Highever's various troops – such as the heavy infantry, the archers and the like – were spread about the map to indicate their positions for the particular plan they were discussing. There were a couple of large and well-armed men in the tent. The largest of them was a tall and muscular man with a stern face, shoulder-length shaggy blonde hair and a beard that was of medium length. There was a faded scar on his right cheek and his eyes were an icy grey. Over his armour, he wore a cloak made of bear fur and his large two-handed axe was leaning against the table beside him. They all looked up at the interruption and immediately got to their feet.

"Lady Cousland," the large man greeted with a bow. "We were not expecting you."

"At ease, gentlemen," Jordana ordered and then fixed her eyes on the large man. "Captain Oswald, I beg your pardon. I wouldn't have interrupted if I didn't have urgent news."

Captain Oswald read some emotion in her eyes. "We will continue this discussion later."

The other men filed out the tent and Jordana felt some of the tension ease in her shoulders. The Captain then indicated she should take a seat and even offered her a goblet of wine which she accepted. His stony expression softened and they sat down together. Captain Oswald had been in charge of teaching Jensen and Fergus their war tactics and he also oversaw the early days of their weapons training. He was a hard and tough man but he was also loyal and had a bit of a soft spot for Jordana. She took a sip of the wine to calm her nerves and then looked at the larger man.

"Highever is lost," she said quietly.

Captain Oswald processed this information and did not blurt out anything or question this statement. "Arl Howe?"

Jordana frowned. "How did you know?"

"Tactically speaking, it's the only thing that would make sense," he answered and even though he kept the anger from his voice, his eyes shone with it. "What happened?"

She drank a bit more wine and then delved into the story from the moment she woke until they arrived at Ostagar. The Captain said nothing and listened intently. This was the worst possible news he could have received but he was taking it well.

"I am sorry about your parents," he said eventually. "What do you think we should do?"

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "I don't have my brothers' training or yours."

"But you have a cunning mind, more so than your brothers combined. I am interested to hear what you would have me do," he explained. "And with Fergus elsewhere and Jensen a Grey Warden, only you have the authority to give me orders."

She descended into silence as she pondered this and then came to a decision. "We do not tell the men. They need all their courage and focus to face the Darkspawn. If they are too busy thinking of home, they will become distracted. Also, send out orders that the army will gather at Redcliffe afterwards. Arl Eamon has long been a trusted ally and he would have no reason to move against us."

Captain Oswald nodded in approval. "What about you and Jensen?"

"We're safe, for now," Jordana answered. "Duncan, the Warden-Commander, is protecting us for the time being. At least, until Jensen is actually a Grey Warden. He thinks it is best if we stay together and keep our identities a secret just in case Howe has allies here. Cailan has already agreed to these terms."

"Then I shall agree with them too," Oswald decided.

Jordana then took out the note that she had been holding tightly in her left hand. "I also have a personal favour I need to ask."

"I would do anything for you, my lady."

She gave the letter to him. "This is for Fergus. If you find him before I do, please give it to him. I have no idea what will happen with this battle but I'll feel better knowing that if anything goes wrong, there is still a chance that Fergus will learn of what happened. I cannot trust anyone else with this."

"I understand and you have my word that I will do everything within my power to make sure your brother gets this letter, my lady," Captain Oswald promised.

Jordana thanked him for his time and took her leave. The conversation with Captain Oswald had been easier and somehow harder at the same time. He had handled the news well and he understood that Jordana had done everything she could have done to try to save her family. He did not judge her actions or question her choices. It was a relief. It was still hard recounting the events of that night though. Perhaps it would get easier with time although she somehow doubted this. No one she had ever met had lost so much in such a short amount of time so Jordana had no way of knowing what to do or someone she could turn to for advice. Every friend she ever had, aside from Luther, was now dead and her brother was distant. She had never felt so lost or alone before.

As she approached the campsite, she noticed a small group had gathered around the large campfire that was located just a few steps away from the tents. Almost immediately, she noticed Jensen and Duncan. There were three others standing close together. There was a young man wearing heavy armour with a sword and shield strapped to his back. He had short cut brown hair and even from this distance she could tell he had warm hazel eyes. He was also standing beside Duncan which led Jordana to believe that he was another Grey Warden. As she closed the gap, the other two men were easier to see. The one she recognised as the man who was hitting on the female soldier by the quartermaster. The last man was taller than the others and he was also wearing heavy armour with a large two-handed sword on his back. He looked particularly nervous and twitchy.

Jordana planned on walking past them and continuing on to their campsite. This was obviously some secret Grey Warden business that she was not supposed to know and it didn't bother her. Duncan noticed her passing and beckoned her over. The younger Grey Warden and the two other recruits watched her curiously and Duncan cast a bemused look in Luther's direction. Jensen was not surprised or confused to see her approach. As a matter of fact, there was little emotion on his face. Maker, she just wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he did something other than sulk in silence.

"Jordana," Duncan greeted. "Alistair and the Grey Warden recruits will be going into the Korcari Wilds to achieve two goals; one of which involves securing ancient treaties. I would like you to accompany them. Perhaps you will find some sign of your brother's passage. I only request that your hound remains with me."

This request was odd and Jordana was not entirely sure of how to respond, especially considering Luther was the only one she fully and completely trusted at the moment. It took a moment for her to realise that going into the Wilds was a test for the recruits in many ways and Luther would only give them an advantage they wouldn't always have so in order to get a good idea of their capabilities, Luther needed to stay behind.

"As you wish, Duncan," she replied and nodded to Luther. The Mabari hound walked over to Duncan and sat beside him.

Duncan looked over to the young Grey Warden. "Watch over your charges, Alistair, and return safely."

"We will," Alistair replied.

The small group set off towards the gate that would lead to the Korcari Wilds. Jensen and Alistair took the lead follow by the other two recruits. Jordana chose to bring up the rear so she wouldn't get in the way of their close combat styles and she would be most effective with her bow. She was quite aware that the other two recruits kept glancing over their shoulders at her, probably wondering who she was and why she was going with them. The silence they walked in was reassuring because it meant there would be no questions. The moment they left the safety of Ostagar for the openness of the Wilds, Jordana noticed that everything changed.

The heavy footfalls of the soldiers were replaced by the trees shivering in the breeze. The distant sounds of repairs or building were now birdsong. The relaxation that came with the high walls vanished and there was now a sense of unease. The recruit with the two-handed weapon had the most noticeable reaction because he tended to jump at the smallest sounds. The others tensed but they kept their cool. As soon as they were out in their open, they all drew their weapons just to be cautious. Jordana remained on edge. Her eyes constantly scanned the floor, looking for any sign of Fergus and she listened carefully for any sound that would signal danger.

They soon stumbled upon what looked to be the site of an ambush. There were a few dead bodies and a cart that had been destroyed. One of the bodies suddenly started to move and crawled towards them. He was badly wounded and he wouldn't survive without help although Jordana doubted they would be able to help him much. His wounds were too serious. She couldn't help but feel sorry for this man and believed he deserved a chance to survive.

"Well, he isn't half as dead as he looks," Alistair remarked.

His light tone was unexpected and Jordana glanced at him sideways. "We should try to help him."

"Why?" Jensen asked. "Chances are he won't survive."

Jordana gave him a hard look. "The same could be said about us."

The others were confused by this statement and Jensen's expression hardened even more.

"I have some bandages in my pack," Alistair offered.

Jordana looked at her brother in annoyance and walked off to scout a bit, see if she could find out what had happened while Alistair patched up the wounded soldier. She was on the edge of the ambush site, examining the likeliest path that the attackers had headed in. She knelt close to the ground to get a better look and closely examined the ground. Once he was on his way back towards Ostagar, the others walked towards her.

"Anything useful?" Alistair asked.

Jordana shrugged. "Depends on your definition of 'useful'. There are some wolf tracks that are fresh but they probably won't bother us. And then there are these tracks." She pointed to a few nearby that were almost human but not quite. "I've never seen them before so I'm guessing they belong to the Darkspawn. I can't say how many because the ground is soft and trampled so it's hard to judge. I'm fairly certain that this was a Darkspawn ambush though."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say. Alistair, Jensen and…Daveth – she thought that's what Alistair had called him in idle conversation when they left Ostagar – handled the news well. If only the same could be said about Ser Jory. He started to freak out and panic a bit, struggling to figure out how they stood a chance if a whole group of soldiers did not. Jordana shared a glance with Alistair. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing she was: why was a knight from Redcliffe so twitchy? Jensen wasn't paying attention to the conversation at all as he stared out into the Wilderness…or so Jordana assumed until he spoke.

"Overcoming these dangers is part of our test," Jensen reminded them impatiently.

Jory stammered for a moment. "I suppose…that's true."

"Know this: all Grey Wardens can sense the Darkspawn. There are Darkspawn about but we are not going to run into the main horde. That does not mean I'm here to make this easy however."

"Then let's get going," Jensen ordered and started to lead the way down the road.

Jordana remained where she was standing and watched as her brother passed. Why wouldn't he just talk to her? Daveth and Jory followed in silence.

"Is everything all right?" Alistair asked quietly beside her.

Jordana looked at the young Grey Warden. "We're going through a rough patch, I guess you could say. We'll be fine though. Thank you."

Alistair offered her a small smile and then walked towards the others. Jordana remained where she was standing for a few moments longer, quite surprised. She had only met Alistair a few minutes ago and he was checking on her to make sure she was all right. It was completely unexpected. He seemed like a good man and his smile somehow made her feel better…or at least less depressed and frustrated. And then she remembered his statement. How could Grey Wardens sense the Darkspawn? That seemed like an odd power to have, especially when magic could be much more practical. Then again, they were in the middle of a war with the creepy buggers so an early warning system might be useful. It also explained why Duncan sent Alistair along with them – to make sure they didn't stumble onto the main horde.

The others had stopped walking just in front of a fallen log. Jordana was confused as to why they stopped until she caught up to them. A few soldiers had been strung up to the tree and were hanging there, lifeless. The rope was tied around their necks though it was hard to tell if this killed them or if they were dead before. Either way, Jordana had to stifle her panic when she first laid eyes on the dead soldiers because she feared Fergus was among them. She was so focused, she barely registered that Alistair and Jensen were talking. As soon as it became obvious that none of the soldiers were familiar, Jordana heard a strange noise. It sounded like a soft growl but it didn't belong to any animal.

On pure instinct, Jordana drew an arrow and spun around. A group of creatures was descending on them. There were a few short ones and a couple of bigger ones. They were all brandishing weapons that looked barbaric in nature and likely to grant a painful death to anyone. Within a matter of moments, Jordana pulled the bowstring back and released the arrow, killing one of the bigger ones almost instantly. The sound caught the attention of the others and they immediately jumped into action. To make sure she stayed out of their way, she took a few steps back and only stopped to aim and shoot.

Even though they were outnumbered, the Darkspawn didn't last very long. Alistair clearly knew how to wield a sword and shield effectively, maybe even better than Jensen did. He had a different style but his skill was obvious. Daveth was quick with his daggers though Jordana doubted he had never actually fought out in the open before. Jory was also quite skilled with his two-handed sword. He would probably have been better if he wasn't so paranoid. Once the last Darkspawn fell, Jordana approached to try to collect any arrows that could be used again. It was then that she noticed the recruits were gathering the Darkspawn blood into small phials. She gave Jensen a quizzical look and he just shook his head in response. Apparently, this was more of the super-secret Grey Warden stuff. Jordana had agreed not to ask so she didn't and continued to collect usable arrows.

Once they were all done collecting everything that they needed to, they continued on their way, apparently looking for ruins of some sort. There were a few ruins scattered in the Wilds; small ones and big ones that Alistair didn't even spare a glance. It was this that led Jordana to believe that they were not on some treasure hunting adventure; rather the Grey Wardens were looking for something specific somewhere specific. Probably more super-secret Warden business. Jordana tried not to let this annoy her and focused her attention on looking for signs of Fergus or his scouts instead of trying to figure out what they were looking for.

They continued to cross paths with small groups of Darkspawn. There were a lot of the short ones – called Genlocks – and some of the tall ones – Hurlocks. Very few of them had mastered the art of stealth so they weren't hard to hear coming. The small group had crossed paths with some Darkspawn that were scarily good at stealth, so much so that the only reason they were still alive was because Jordana was so desperate to find some sign of Fergus that she was able to hear them approach. Alistair was also able to sense them coming and gave them early warnings whenever he could even though Jordana was a pretty effective early warning system.

After a few fights, they stopped briefly to rest and to catch their breath. The air was heavy with humidity and clouds were starting to gather in the sky above them. Jordana wearily sat down on an old tree stump. Jory and Daveth sat down on the tree that had fallen over which was covered in strange looking mushrooms. Alistair was standing in front of them but his attention was focused elsewhere, searching for the ruins they were looking for. Jensen was pacing restlessly until his eyes fell on a flower that was growing nearby. It was white with a red centre and it stood out from the various greens that spanned the Wilds. Jordana watched in confusion as her brother gently picked the flower and placed it in his own pack which Duncan had presumably given him.

"That must be the flower the kennel master mentioned," Daveth commented.

Jordana gave him a curious look. "Why would a kennel master need a flower?"

Daveth shrugged. "He said something about it being used to cure a Mabari that swallowed Darkspawn blood or some such thing."

She raised an eyebrow and considered this information. It was odd that Jensen would take the time to do this favour for a stranger when he barely said a word to anyone. He resumed his pacing as though nothing had happened. They continued to sit in silence until they felt ready that they were ready to continue on their way. Alistair had a best guess of where the ruins would be and they started to walk in that direction. It didn't take them long to find the ruins and the large group of Darkspawn that set up camp outside.

Alistair and Jensen rushed into battle while Daveth followed close behind them. Jory hesitated briefly before engaging a Genlock. Jordana started to fire arrows almost immediately and made a point of firing only when she was certain the arrow would hit. There wasn't always an opportunity for a kill shot – sometimes one of the others would be in the way or the Darkspawn had a shield – so she would fire arrows at their arms to make it harder to successfully wield their weapons or at their legs to slow them down.

As soon as the last Darkspawn fell, they sheathed their weapons and cautiously approached the ruins. Across from them was what looked like a destroyed chest so this was probably the ruins they were looking for. Jensen and Alistair hurriedly approached to get a better look. Jordana suddenly got the uneasy feeling that they were being watched although she doubted Howe would have any men in the Korcari Wilds. Who would be following and watching them though? There weren't many people out in the Wilds, unless the Chasind were counted but they would have avoided Ostagar. The Darkspawn weren't _that_ subtle either.

"The treaties are gone," Jensen remarked in frustration.

Jordana momentarily forgot about her feeling of unease. What treaties were they looking for and why were they in some ancient, abandoned ruins? Treaties were very important documents and therefore they should have been placed in a vault somewhere, not in the middle of the Korcari Wilds…unless they were far older than Jordana first thought. The Grey Wardens were an ancient order, after all, so it was a possibility.

"Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have been long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these Darkspawn filled Wilds of mine in search of…easy prey?"

They had all been caught off guard and jumped slightly. The last thing they expected was to be approached by someone who was willing to talk to them. Darkspawn either lacked the ability or the willingness to talk. Jordana looked over her shoulder to seek the source of the voice and was quite surprised. The voice belonged to a young woman, probably no older than she, with black hair and cold eyes. Her clothes barely covered anything and the staff on her back clearly marked her as an apostate. Despite the varied reactions of the men, Jordana doubted this strange woman meant them harm considering she had the perfect opportunity to ambush them but she chose to speak with them instead.

Jensen immediately went on the defensive, just in case this woman caused them to let their guard down and then attacked. It was the path that Arl Howe had used to betray them all and he couldn't afford to take any chances, especially considering his sister had seemed to relax.

"Who are you and where did you come from?" he demanded irritably.

The woman was not impressed and casually folded her arms in front of her chest. "You are the intruder here. I believe the first question is rightfully mine."

Even though the circumstances were strange and it was hard to tell whether this apostate was a friend or a foe, Jordana couldn't stop herself from taking some amusement from Jensen's surprised expression. He had not expected her to dismiss him so readily. It was at this moment when Jordana noticed Daveth and Jory were standing quite close to each other and a short distance behind Alistair as if he would protect them. Alistair looked mildly suspicious but he was able to cover up his fear…or he just wasn't scared. Either way, he was handling it better than the other two.

"I have watched your progress for some time," the woman continued. "'Where do they go?' I wondered. 'Why are they here?' And now you disturb ashes none have touched in so long. Why is that?"

While she had been speaking, she crossed the ruins to stand on the edge and casually leant against a crumbled pillar. It was obvious that she did not regard any of them as a threat. Jordana had also noticed that she had a strange way of speaking. This woman must not get out of the forest much.

"Don't answer her," Alistair warned softly although his voice carried in the silence. "She looks Chasind and that means others may be nearby."

"You fear barbarians will swoop down on you?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"Yes, swooping is bad," Alistair answered seriously. Jordana once again smiled.

"She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth suddenly spoke up nervously. "She'll turn us into toads."

Jordana looked at him incredulously. That was perhaps the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Jensen also shared her thought and gave Daveth a "you have got to be kidding" look.

The woman looked mildly amused. "Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own? You there." She focused her intense gaze on Jordana. "Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

"Don't," Jensen warned angrily.

Jordana raised an eyebrow. One minute it looked like he didn't care about her and the next he was telling her what to do. "This," she said and gestured around them, "is getting us nowhere. We tried it your way already and it didn't work. If we're going to finish your secret Grey Warden business, manners can go a long way. Besides, she's had a dozen or more opportunities to hurt us and we're still alive." She tore her eyes away from her brother's furious expression and looked at the woman. "Swear we will not be harmed first." She wasn't as stupid as Jensen believed.

The woman nodded. "Very well. I am intrigued and as such, you have my word that none of you will be harmed by my hand."

"My name is Jordana. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds. You may call me Morrigan. Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer?"

"'Here no longer'?" Alistair repeated indignantly. "You stole them, didn't you? You're…some kind of…sneaky…witch-thief!"

That was perhaps the worst insult Jordana had ever heard in her entire life.

"How very eloquent," Morrigan responded sarcastically. "How does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily, it seems," Alistair replied, completely unfazed by her sarcasm. "Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them."

"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them," Morrigan responded. "Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish; I am not threatened."

"Then who removed them?" Jensen asked impatiently.

Morrigan ignored the annoyed edge to his voice. "Twas my mother, in fact."

There was no way they were going to get anywhere without Morrigan's help.

"Can you take us to her?" Jordana asked and ignored the annoyed noise Jensen made.

"There is a sensible request. I like you."

"I'd be careful," Alistair warned in an undertone. "First, it's 'I like you…' but then 'Zap!' Frog time."

"She'll put us all in the pot, she will. Just you watch," Daveth added.

Jordana looked from Alistair to Daveth, trying to judge whether they were being serious or not. It sounded so ridiculous.

"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it'd be a nice change," Jory argued as the voice of reason for once.

"Follow me, then, if it pleases you," Morrigan instructed and disappeared into the undergrowth.


	4. The Joining

**Hey there, folks. I apologise for the long delay in posting an update. I had a case of writer's block. Hopefully, this is a good chapter despite my problems and that you enjoy it.**

**In other news, I have two updates in my profile that are fairly important. The quick version is that I will be changing my pen name in the near future and my laptop is acting a bit weird so I do not know if I will have technical difficulties or not. Hopefully, I won't but I have no idea how this will affect my updates. Thank you for your patience.**

**Chapter 4: The Joining**

The sun was starting to set when the small group returned to Ostagar. Meeting Morrigan and her mother, Flemeth, had been an interesting turn of events. Despite her odd way of speaking, Morrigan was definitely the sane one out of the pair. Flemeth was buckets of crazy and almost certainly dangerous. Jordana hoped to never cross paths with them again. While Morrigan and Flemeth had kept their word and returned the Grey Warden treaties to Alistair without harming any of them, it had not been out of the goodness of their hearts. They had their own agenda and their own goals that they planned on achieving. Jordana just had no idea what these goals were which was why she didn't trust them at all.

There had been no sign of Fergus or his scouting party either. This could be a good sign because there was a possibility that he had managed to escape the notice of Howe's agents. However, it could also be a bad sign. Perhaps he was already dead and there was no evidence of what had happened. The Darkspawn were only too happy to kill whoever entered the Wilds and maybe they had killed anyone Howe had sent after Fergus. There were too many possibilities and not enough facts. Jordana could only hope that Fergus was alive and well. Right now, she needed to worry about her other brother.

From the idle conversation between the other recruits, she had managed to learn that there was a ritual of some kind: the Joining. Once it was complete, the recruits would become junior members of the Order. For some reason, Jordana had a bad feeling about it and she hoped Jensen would be all right. They hadn't said much about this ritual, mainly because they knew little about it themselves. Whenever the topic came up, Alistair was suspiciously quiet and purposefully steered the conversation in another direction. While Jordana knew she had no right to ask about the Joining, she had a feeling that she could trust Alistair and that he would not needlessly lead Jensen into a dangerous situation. Perhaps she was overthinking everything.

They made their way over to Duncan and Alistair delivered his report. Duncan approved of everything they had managed to achieve and Jordana was surprised to learn that Alistair had training as a Templar. He didn't strike her as the Templar-type: brooding, hostile, devout and strictly anti-magic. She knew this wasn't true of all Templars but it seemed to be the case for most of them. Perhaps Alistair was better suited to be a Grey Warden and not a Templar. Duncan then instructed Alistair to lead the recruits to an old temple for the Joining. Jordana tried to catch Jensen's eye to wish him luck but he walked past with his gaze low. Alistair gave her a reassuring smile before leading them off.

"Was there any sign of your brother?" Duncan asked.

Jordana continued to stare after her brother for a few moments and then looked to Duncan. "No. We found no sign of him. Either he's a far better scout than I give him credit for or Howe has already gotten to him."

Duncan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I do not believe that those are his only options. Fergus is a talented swordsman. He will be fine."

Jordana smiled gratefully although it did not last long. "Look after Jensen."

"I will do my best," Duncan promised and then started to walk in the direction of the mages.

Luther walked over and sat on the ground beside her. She tickled his ear affectionately and then looked around the camp at a loss of what to do. No one was allowed to enter the Korcari Wilds unless they had permission so continuing her search for Fergus was not an option. Speaking with the Highever army did not sound like a smart move as Howe could have spies anywhere or the men would accidently learn about what happened in Highever and that would end badly. Cailan would probably be busy and thus would not be able to entertain guests. Loghain was not exactly a suitable alternative. There was no reason to visit the quartermaster either. The mages were still training and the Templars were forbidding anyone from coming near. Visiting the sisters from the Chantry would not help either. After everything that had happened, Jordana had lost her faith in the Maker.

She spent some time just wondering around the camp and stumbled upon a group of mercenaries known as the Ash Warriors. It was clear that they had experience fighting battles with their Mabari. While Luther was a purebred War Hound, he was quite spoilt and there was no reason for him to fight in any battles, aside from killing a few giant rats. Given the current circumstances, Jordana decided to speak with them to learn as much as she could to give her and Luther the best possible chance of surviving Ostagar and Arl Howe. The Ash Warriors were reluctant to speak with her at first but once she explained her motivations and reasons, they were more willing to give her advice and she listened attentively with Luther sitting beside her.

When there was nothing else to do, Jordana led Luther back to her tent and sat down in front of the fire that someone had built for her. Luther curled up at her feet and slowly drifted off to sleep. Out of boredom, Jordana took out one of her damaged arrows and used the arrowhead to doodle in the sand in front of her. None of her drawings could be considered art as they were mostly lines and circles but it helped to pass the time and prevented her from dwelling on bad thoughts, such as what had happened to Fergus and what the Joining ritual entailed. It had been a while since Jensen and the other recruits left and she was starting to get worried.

It didn't take long for her to start debating with herself about going to find the Grey Wardens and making sure Jensen was still all right. The promise that she had made to Duncan was the only thing that kept her from searching the entirety of Ostagar. Couslands always honoured their promises and so she would do nothing. Luther suddenly sat up and whined softly. Jordana looked at him curiously and then followed his line of sight. Alistair was approaching with Jensen beside him…only something wasn't quite right. Jensen's head hung low and his arm was clinging around Alistair's shoulders for support. His steps were lethargic and it pretty much looked exactly like the common sight around taverns: a drunken man being helped home by his sober friend…only Jordana was pretty sure her brother wasn't drunk.

She got to her feet. "Is he all right?"

"He'll be fine," Alistair answered easily. "The Joining can be quite…taxing. He just needs some sleep."

Jordana was immediately relieved and she parted the tent flaps so Alistair could head into the tent without a problem. He slowly lowered Jensen onto his bedroll and placed his weapons beside him. He then left the tent and Jensen was soon snoring away as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"So…my brother is now officially a Grey Warden?" she asked and briefly glanced towards the tent.

"Yes," Alistair replied although he was confused by her tone of voice.

"What of Daveth and Ser Jory?"

Alistair's expression fell. "They…didn't make it."

It was clear that he meant not only did they not make it into the ranks of the Grey Wardens but they didn't survive the Joining either. While she didn't know them for very long, she was sorry that they failed the test or whatever happened during the Joining. It was unfair that they had come so far, only to meet their end at the final obstacle. But was it the Joining that had killed them or something else? This line of thinking was not healthy. Duncan had saved their lives and he was a good man. This was no way to thank him. At least Jensen was safe, for the time being.

"I'm sorry," Jordana told Alistair. He looked to be troubled by the news but he smiled in thanks at her words. "What happens now?"

"That depends on Duncan and King Cailan," he answered. "The King and Loghain are currently discussing a battle plan for tomorrow. Until then, we don't know what our roles will be…although Duncan has made it clear that you will remain with Jensen."

"Thank you," she said.

Alistair bowed his head in acknowledgement and then took his leave. Jordana watched him leave and then looked inside the tent. Jensen was still fast asleep and it didn't look like anything was wrong…although he did look a bit pale. It was nothing serious though. Knowing that he was safe allowed Jordana to push her doubts aside and she refused to think about Daveth and Jory. Yes, they were dead and yes, there was a possibility that the Joining could have killed Jensen too. This no longer mattered to Jordana as long as she didn't lose Jensen. After everything that had happened, she couldn't bear to lose anyone else close to her. With a heavy sigh, she wished Luther good night before heading into the tent and going to sleep on her own bedroll. Unfortunately, it was not a dreamless sleep.

_The small room was dark and it was impossible to see anything. The sounds of battle echoed loudly all around and the anguished cries of soldiers meeting their doom lingered. Slowly, the room came into focus and Jordana realised she was standing in the larder. A cold sense of dread settled in her stomach as the darkness slowly faded away. The room was no longer empty because her father was slumped against the wall, barely breathing. Her mother stood in front of him defiantly with her bow hanging limply at her side, her quiver empty. A few of Howe's men lay dead on the cold stone and Arl Howe calmly walked in, flanked by his soldiers._

_His face was set in a smug look of victory and his armour glistened brightly as though it had never been used in battle before. It figured. Howe was the kind of man to let others fight his battles for him. Jordana wanted to punch him. She was just a spirit however and completely invisible in her own dream. Eleanor's face contorted with rage and she took a step back to better protect Bryce. Arl Howe' glanced at Bryce and his smugness only intensified._

"_You will pay for this treachery," Eleanor threatened angrily. "You and Bryce were friends. We trusted you!"_

"_I am not the traitor, Eleanor. Your husband was willing to bring those Orlesian bastards back into Ferelden after everything we did," Howe replied angrily. "I refused to let that happen."_

"_And taking over Highever, killing everyone, is going to stop the Orlesians?" Eleanor challenged._

"_It doesn't matter," Howe dismissed calmly. "With no one left, the King will believe whatever I say happened. But this unpleasantness is unnecessary. If you agree to marry me, your life will be spared and Highever will remain your home."_

"_You mean my prison," Eleanor corrected defensively. "I will never marry you and nothing will change my mind."_

"_Such a pity," Howe replied though his tone couldn't have been more indifferent. "Men."_

_His soldiers rushed forward and easily disarmed Eleanor before roughly securing her hands behind her back, despite all of her protesting and struggling. One of the soldiers knelt in front of Bryce. Bryce was barely conscious and extremely pale. His injury was still bleeding slowly and his breathing came in ragged gasps. There was a line of sweat along is brow. The soldier started to move his sword and Jordana realised what was going to happen. She cried out silently just as Eleanor collapsed to her knees in anguish. The soldier had passed his sword through Bryce's chest, killing him quickly._

"_You should be thanking me," Howe remarked. "Bryce's death was quick and painless."_

_The soldiers forced Eleanor to stand again and she gave Howe an intense glare. "The Maker damn you!"_

_Howe backhanded her across the cheek. "Silence."_

"_You're wrong," Eleanor continued, ignoring her stinging cheek. "Cailan will never believe you. You can kill us but we will continue to live through our children. Highever will never be yours."_

_Howe snarled and turned on his men. "Where are the Cousland brats?! Find them! I want them dead!"_

_The scene suddenly shifted. Jordana didn't notice at first because she was in shock at watching her father's murder._

_Suddenly, she was standing in a wide cavern that was deep underground. The roof of the cavern reached high above her head. Sounds echoed in the darkness and it sounded vaguely familiar to marching boots. Thousands of them. Cautiously, Jordana walked to the edge of a cliff. It dropped sharply and far below, lava flowed freely…only it wasn't lava. It was thousands of torches being carried by a large army of some sort. Icy terror gripped Jordana and she couldn't look away. A huge dragon flew by overhead and let out a terrifying screech. While it hadn't been looking at her, its roar continue to seep into her bones and make her whole body shake._

Jordana's eyes flew open and she was breathing heavily. As her breathing slowed, she carefully sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, leaning her forehead against them. Those dreams felt so real, like they had really happened…but that was impossible. The second dream made no sense to her. She had never been underground before and last thing she heard, the dragons were extinct. Seeing her father killed had also not been a pleasant experience. She had accepted that he was dead but she never expected to watch it happen, even in a dream. Once her breathing returned to normal, Jordana held out her hands and realised they were shaking. She balled them into tight fists to stop the shaking.

It was then that she realised the bedroll next to her was empty and that it was morning. Jordana left the tent and found Jensen was sitting outside with Luther lying next to him and two plates of food. It was simple food: half a loaf of bread with cheese and a bit of fruit. As soon as Jensen saw her, he picked up the second plate and passed it to her. She took it and sat down beside him, giving the plate a confused look. It didn't look like standard army food rations.

"Cailan sent it to us and he wouldn't take no for an answer," Jensen explained with a mouthful of bread.

Jordana broke a piece of bread off and thoughtfully ate it. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he answered with a shrug.

Jordana pursed her lips in annoyance but she kept her thoughts to herself. She hadn't expected a second by second recount of the Joining although she would have liked it if her brother actually spoke to her. This was a step up from the past few days however. He may not have said it out loud but Jordana knew that Jensen had let his anger and his thoughts of vengeance guide him since their flight from Highever. Obviously, she understood why. She did not approve of it though. Their mother had made them promise to live. Setting out on a quest for vengeance was not living. But Jensen was a stubborn man and he would not be swayed from this path.

Jensen was oblivious to his sister's annoyance. "I can't wait to see the look on Howe's face when Cailan sends the army after him."

Jordana frowned. The last time she checked, they still had the Darkspawn to defeat unless they took a leave of absence from the battlefield. "What about the Darkspawn?"

"Cailan said he has a plan that will wipe out their army," Jensen answered simply.

Jordana doubted that the king had used those words. "But, if this is a Blight-"

"Then Duncan will know how to stop it," Jensen finished irritably. "Why can't you just let me enjoy something for once?"

"Because you've barely said a word to me or acknowledged I even exist since we left Highever," Jordana snapped, much to Jensen's surprise. "Then you agree to join the Wardens to help you get revenge. Have you ever considered there are more important things than revenge?"

"Mother and Father are dead," Jensen said forcefully.

"You honestly think you have to remind me of that? Killing Howe won't bring them back," Jordana told him evenly and tears stung her eyes. "And I can't lose you too."

Jensen stared at her in shock. He was speechless and had no idea of how to respond. Jordana didn't wait around though. She grabbed the bread from her plate and left the campsite, wandering aimlessly. There was no way she would be able to convince Jensen from the decisions he had made but that didn't mean she had to stand around and watch him make them. How could he be so selfish? Jordana angrily kicked a small pebble that was on the ground in front of her. Arl Howe was a traitor and because this was the worst crime someone could commit, he would be executed for it. Cailan had said as much. This didn't mean Jensen needed to throw his life away trying to make the inevitable happen. Howe was going to die, no matter what.

Jordana was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see where she was going until she walked into someone. She stumbled backwards and looked up in surprise. The other person was an older woman, perhaps in her early fifties, with grey hair that was tied back in a short ponytail. Her eyes were blue and were soft with kindness. She wore robes of red and white. It took Jordana a moment to realise that this woman was a mage.

"I am so sorry," Jordana apologised profusely. "I should have watched where I was going. Are you all right?"

The mage smiled gently. "I am fine."

"Are you sure?" Jordana asked in a mixture of guilt and embarrassment.

"Yes," the woman replied. "I am Wynne."

"Jordana."

"It is a pleasure. Did I see you arrive with Duncan?"

Jordana was surprised by the question and wasn't entirely sure why she was asking it. Still, this woman didn't look evil or the sort of person Howe would recruit for an assassination.

"Yes," she answered. "He recruited my brother into the Grey Wardens."

"I am told it is a great honour and Duncan is not easily impressed," Wynne remarked, clearly picking up on Jordana's annoyance. "Yet you do not agree?"

Jordana shrugged. "My brother is being an idiot about it."

Wynne smiled. "I have some time if you'd like a sympathetic ear?"

It probably was not a wise decision. Howe had the money and the power to hire anyone to do his dirty business for him. There was something about Wynne that made Jordana think this was a genuine offer. It would also be nice to talk to someone about it. Jordana could leave out the details, such as her parents dying at the hand of a traitor or her heritage. Duncan was not the coddling type either and Jensen was too angry to let Jordana talk about what happened, maybe to find some way to deal with and accept what happened. Without further prompting, Jordana began to tell Wynne what had happened – leaving out a few details, of course – and she was surprised by how much better she felt.

* * *

Jensen continued to eat his food angrily. His sister had no idea what she was talking about. It was his role, his duty, to exact revenge on the traitorous scum known as Arl Rendon Howe. Their father had made him promise to do so before they left Highever. Despite what Jordana thought, Jensen intended on keeping this promise. Howe needed to die and it would be by his terms and by his hand. While Howe deserved to suffer for everything he had done and all of the suffering he caused, Jensen would grant him a quick and painless death. It was not out of sympathy or goodwill but because the sooner Ferelden was free of Howe, the better. But Jordana couldn't see this.

"Who does she think she is?" Jensen growled angrily, to no one in particular.

Luther looked at him with his big brown eyes and whined softly. Apparently, he didn't like to hear someone talking badly of his mistress, not even her brother. Jensen sighed softly, his anger suddenly gone. Perhaps he was being too hard on Jordana. No one had prepared her for this. He and Fergus had been taught about the harsh realities of war. They knew death would come at some point to everyone. While he didn't quite believe that he needed to apologise, he didn't want to fight with Jordana. Not now. Just as he made up his mind to look for his sister, Duncan approached. Jensen quickly swallowed the food he had in his mouth and got to his feet.

"Warden-Commander."

Duncan's eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement though his face remained stern. "King Cailan and General Loghain have convened a War Council to discuss the plans for the battle tonight. The King has requested that you be present."

"Why?" Jensen asked in surprise.

"I do not know," Duncan answered. "But it is not wise to question orders from the King."

"Sorry," Jensen replied. "I just wasn't expecting it."

Duncan smiled to show that there was no harm done and then led the way towards the old ruins, close to where the Joining had taken place. Jensen could still picture Daveth's face as the Darkspawn blood killed him and Jory's terror when Duncan had been forced to kill him. Jensen understood why and it was also then that he realised there was no turning back after that. Drinking the Darkspawn blood had been painful and the images that had briefly flashed in his mind were not easily forgotten. He was brought from his musings when he heard two loud voices arguing. He had been idly following Duncan and they had come to a stop around a large table in the middle of the ruins.

A detailed map of the area took up the centre of the table with candles surrounding it. Small figurines had been carved out of wood and painted according to the colours of whichever noble family they fought for. Highever's army was painfully obvious and stood out quite clearly from the rest. The King's army was also easy to spot as was General Loghain's army. The Grey Warden forces were represented by a Griffin. Someone had carved a Darkspawn out of wood and it was currently staring down the other figurines on the opposite side of the map. King Cailan and General Loghain were standing next to each other and were arguing fiercely over something while a Mage and a sister of the Chantry watched on. They didn't even stop when Duncan led Jensen over to their spot on the other side of the table. Apparently, Loghain disapproved of Cailan's faith and fascination with the Grey Wardens.

Cailan looked up suddenly and noticed them. His expression immediately changed to a lighter one. "I understand congratulations are in order, Jensen. Every Grey Warden is needed now. They will be much stronger with you in their ranks."

Jensen wanted to thank Cailan for his words and to remind him of his promise when Loghain cut him off.

"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan," the General argued angrily and Jensen silently agreed. "We must attend to reality."

"Fine," Cailan relented. He was surprisingly calm about it as though they had discussed this before. "Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the Darkspawn into charging our lines and then…?"

Everyone's attention was drawn to the map as they talked about the plan and gestured to the pieces and where they would move to so everyone would understand the movements of the soldiers.

"You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signalling my men to charge from cover," Loghain continued gruffly.

"To flank the Darkspawn, I remember," Cailan realised. "This is the Tower of Ishal (he pointed on the map) in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?"

"I have a few men stationed there," Loghain answered. "It's not a dangerous task but it is vital."

"Then we should send our best," Cailan decided. "Send Jensen and Alistair to make sure it's done."

"I won't be fighting in the battle?" Jensen asked in shock, completely forgetting about his manners. He had been trained to fight and the King wasn't letting him fight?

Duncan looked at him calmly. "We need the beacon. Without it, Loghain's men will not know when to charge."

"You see? Glory for everyone," Cailan announced enthusiastically as though it solved everything.

Once again, Jensen wanted to argue that glory had nothing to do with his annoyance and Loghain cut him off. "You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?"

"Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain," Cailan ordered him patiently. This was also a popular conversation topic between them, apparently. "Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they're from."

Duncan cleared his throat to stop another argument from starting. "Your Majesty, you should consider the possibility of the Archdemon appearing."

"There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds," Loghain pointed out.

"Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?" Cailan asked bluntly.

Duncan was about to argue something and then thought better of it. "Yes, your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, the tower and its beacon are unnecessary," the Mage started to argue. "The Circle of Magi-"

Jensen was curious to know what the Mage intended to do, especially if it meant that he could fight in the battle. Apparently, the Chantry had other ideas.

The sister interrupted angrily. "We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage! Save them for the darkspawn."

"Enough!" Loghain commanded fiercely and silence descended immediately. "This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon."

"Thank you, Loghain," Cailan added. "I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!"

Fergus and their father spoke highly of Cailan all the time yet Jensen could only see an immature, over enthusiastic man who was too young to be king.

"Yes, Cailan. A glorious moment for us all." Loghain's tone of voice indicated that he didn't quite follow this line of thinking and it was only an attempt to placate the king.

On that condescending note, the War Council was adjourned and everyone departed in different directions. Duncan led the way towards the fire that served as his campsite and quickly dispatched a servant to find Alistair. Jensen's eyes drifted towards the tents nearby and he noticed Jordana had still not returned. Luther was still lying in front of the tent with the Cousland Blade secured to him. It was an…unusual thing that Jordana had done to him. He couldn't figure out why she had done it. Duncan noticed where he was staring.

"Where is Jordana?" he asked.

Jensen shrugged. "We had a…disagreement and she walked off."

Duncan said nothing else on the matter and Alistair soon appeared, walking towards them quickly. He had obviously realised this was something important and wasn't wasting any time. Alistair had just arrived when Jordana appeared from around some other tents and she was obviously deep in thought. Duncan gestured to grab her attention and then beckoned her over. She was surprised and confused but she came over immediately. Jensen did not want Jordana to be involved in this battle but her arrows would increase their chances to get the job done successfully.

"Jensen heard the plan. You and Alistair will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit," Duncan explained to Jordana and Alistair.

"What? I won't be in the battle?" Alistair asked, crestfallen.

Jordana looked surprised to be included in this plan too, especially because she wasn't technically a Grey Warden. Jensen suspected that Duncan had always intended on sending her with him no matter what task he was given, regardless of the King's orders.

"This is by the King's personal request, Alistair," Duncan explained. "If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men will not know when to charge."

"So, he needs two Grey Wardens and an archer standing up there holding the torch, just in case, right?" Alistair asked sceptically.

"I agree with Alistair," Jensen said. "We should be in the battle."

He looked to Jordana for support but she was looking down at the ground, her expression was unreadable.

"That is not your choice," Duncan said evenly. "If King Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn…exciting or no."

"I get it, I get it," Alistair replied although he was not happy about it. "Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

Jensen looked at Alistair in confusion. They were about to enter a huge battle and he was joking? How could this man be a Grey Warden? His comment had attracted Jordana's attention and she had looked up with a hint of a smile. She was obviously fighting to keep a straight face.

"I think I'd like to see that, Alistair," she remarked in a teasing tone.

Alistair gave her a sideways look and there was a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. "For you, maybe. But it has to be a pretty dress."

Jordana smirked and looked away from him, returning her attention to Duncan. Jensen was confused. Were they flirting before battle? Since when did Jordana even flirt? She usually had absolutely no interest in men or finding love. It was a sore spot between her and their mother. But now it was suddenly appropriate? Jensen didn't even think that the half-wit, ex-Templar was good enough for his sister. Duncan groaned and he obviously had to put up with a lot from Alistair.

"The Tower is on the other side of the gorge," the Warden Commander continued, ignoring the earlier discussion. "We passed it when we arrived. You'll need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up the tower entrance. From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."

"How do we know when to light the beacon?" Jensen asked.

"We will signal you when the time is right," Duncan answered. "Alistair will know what to look for. Once the beacon has been lit, stay with the Teyrn's men and guard the tower. If you are needed afterwards, we will send word."

Jensen resisted the urge to groan. He didn't approve on their plan hinging on Alistair's abilities. He was a solid soldier as they had seen in the Korcari Wilds but he looked to be a simpleton.

"What if the Archdemon appears?" Jordana asked.

"We soil our drawers, that's what," Alistair answered and Jordana smiled again.

"If it does, leave it to us," Duncan explained seriously. "I do not want any heroics from any of you."

"I understand what we have to do," Jensen confirmed.

Duncan nodded once. "Then I must join the others. From here, you are on your own." He fixed his gaze on Alistair and Jensen. "You are both Grey Wardens and I expect both of you to be worthy of that title."

He wished them luck before heading towards the main camp of the Grey Wardens. Jordana mentioned something about needing more arrows from the quartermaster and Alistair disappeared to grab his gear. It was apparently an unspoken idea that they meet back at Duncan's campsite before dusk so they could head off on their task. Jensen decided it would be in his best interest to make sure his sword was sharpened and his armour ready for battle so he sought out the smiths. Hopefully, the battle would go well and the army would march on Highever within a few days.


	5. Betrayal

**Chapter 5 Betrayal**

Ostagar echoed loudly with the sound of armoured marching boots. The entire army was on the move as they moved into position, according to Loghain's battle plans. Duncan had gone to prepare the Grey Wardens to follow and fight alongside King Cailan. Jordana was standing by the large fire that indicated Duncan's camp and was shifting her weight between her feet nervously. Her quiver was full of arrows and the old backpack had a couple of health poultices stored inside. Her pair of fighting daggers had been sharpened and cleaned. In terms of gear, Jordana was as ready as she could be but she couldn't help the nerves. Taking part in a huge battle against the darkspawn horde where an Archdemon may or may not appear was not exactly on Jordana's to-do list and she wasn't exactly trained for it. All she could do now was hope her skills would be enough to keep herself alive.

Luther was sitting on the floor next to her at full attention. He was listening intently and he kept a constant watch on their surroundings as though he expected an ambush at any moment. Perhaps he was also nervous. Fighting in battle was completely different from his pampered life in Highever. At least the Cousland Blade was still secure. Thunder suddenly rumbled through the night and Jordana looked up at the sky. Big storm clouds had gathered and lightning darted across the darkness. The sun had set not that long ago and Jordana found herself wondering why they were fighting the darkspawn at night. The darkspawn were accustomed to fighting in the dark so they had the advantage. Wouldn't it make more sense to fight during the day?

Jensen and Alistair soon approached from the direction of the smiths. They had also gotten their swords sharpened and their shields prepared for battle. It was hard to tell whether they were as nervous as Jordana felt because they hid their emotions well. Alistair looked determined but there was also a hint of worry. This wasn't surprising because it was obvious that Alistair had a close relationship with Duncan. Jensen's expression was neutral though the anger he had carried with him since Highever still burned brightly in his eyes. Jordana was quite unsettled by this. She never had a problem reading her twin's expressions before now but she pushed this thought away. They had more immediate concerns to worry about.

Without a word, they started to walk in the direction of the Tower of Ishal. As far as Jordana could tell, the battle had not yet started which meant they had some time. Jensen and Alistair walked side by side with their swords and shields at the ready. Luther walked between them with his ears up as he listened intently. Jordana brought up the rear with her bow clasped tightly in her hand. They soon approached the bridge just as the battle down below roared into action. The shouts of the soldiers and the snarls of the darkspawn echoed loudly. The sound of swords clashing was deafening. The storm took this moment to start raining.

Jensen and Alistair started to cross the bridge, behind soldiers who were firing the large ballistae. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught Jordana's attention and she grabbed them, pulling them down with her so they all collapsed on the ground. Jensen was about to demand what she was doing when there was a large fiery explosion where they had just been standing. The soldiers had been killed instantly and the weapons destroyed. They could feel the heat from where they were but it wasn't enough to injure them. Jordana couldn't believe the darkspawn had catapults. Why would they need such things in the Deep Roads? She looked up in time to see Alistair nod in thanks before they attempted to cross the bridge. They went slowly this time and kept an eye out for more fire balls. There were a few close calls but they were able to cross safely.

As they drew closer to the Tower of Ishal, Jordana realised something was wrong. There were fewer soldiers than there should have been and those that were there looked breathless and nervous. A pair of soldiers came running from the direction of the Tower, cursing and muttering something about the darkspawn. Jensen and Alistair exchanged a quick look before walking towards the guards. Jordana exchanged her own look with Luther. Alistair and Jensen's look was significant but they weren't in a hurry to explain it to her. Resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation, she followed them in silence.

"You there," Alistair said, attracting the attention of the guards almost immediately. "What is happening in the Tower? Aren't you supposed to be guarding it?"

"We weren't prepared for an attack like that," the one guard snapped and pointed over his shoulder.

The other guard hit him on the back of the head. "They're Grey Wardens, you idiot!"

"Attack?" Jensen repeated impatiently. "What attack? We were told the Tower was secure."

The second guard straightened his posture as he turned to answer the question. "The Tower is overrun by darkspawn. It was secure but the darkspawn ambushed us. There was nothing we could do. We only had the numbers to keep it secure, not to retake it."

"Where did the darkspawn come from?" Jordana asked.

"From a giant hole in the ground," the first guard answered angrily.

Jordana raised an eyebrow at the answer. It sounded completely ridiculous. Was it a sarcastic answer or was he actually telling the truth? It did make more sense that an attack from outside the Tower though.

"Pull your men back and make sure no more darkspawn get through," Jensen ordered. "We'll handle the Tower."

The first guard gave them all a glare as though this was entirely their fault before he marched off. The second guard nodded to show he acknowledged his new orders and began barking orders to the other guards and soldiers that were around, looking a bit lost and uneasy. The moment there was a clear figure of authority, the soldiers jumped into action and there was a flurry of activity. Jensen and Alistair easily walked through because their heavy armour and shields made them easy to see. Jordana was left to navigate around the soldiers and had to side step a few to avoid being pushed aside. They silently followed the path towards the Tower of Ishal and Jordana was grateful for the thick trees that lined the path because they gave some protection against the rain. They halted when they came across a few dead bodies. There were too many soldiers and not enough darkspawn.

Jordana knelt beside one of the bodies. "This wasn't an ambush. It was a slaughter."

"The soldiers should have fought against them," Jensen replied icily.

"Most soldiers aren't used to fighting darkspawn," Alistair pointed out.

Any reply that Jensen had was cut off when Luther growled softly. Jordana carefully leant to the side to get a better look around the trees that blocked their way. Up ahead, she could make out wooden ramparts that had been built in a hurry – it was difficult to tell whether it had been the soldiers or the darkspawn - and a few more dead guards were lying on the floor, mostly killed by arrows to the back. A few genlocks had taken up position on the ramparts with their bows and arrows while hurlocks patrolled just behind them. The road still continued past the darkspawn and there was no sign of the Tower of Ishal just yet. While they were outnumbered, Jordana guessed they still had a pretty good chance of killing them. She retreated behind the trees once again.

"Archers have set up on the ramparts and there are hurlocks behind them," she reported.

"How many archers?" Alistair asked.

"A handful."

"Hurlocks?"

"I counted four."

Jensen pointed at Luther. "He stays with us while you take care of the archers. The hurlocks will charge as soon as they see you but once they're close enough, we'll attack them. That should be enough time for you to kill the archers so they won't be a threat to us."

Jordana didn't exactly find the word 'should' to be reassuring. She took a deep breath and nodded. As she slowly got to her feet, she reached for an arrow and prepared it. Another nod from Jensen told her they were all ready. Before the darkspawn accidently discovered their hiding place, Jordana emerged from the treeline and immediately fired an arrow at the first genlock. The arrow found its mark and hit the genlock in the neck, just above the armour, and killed it instantly. The hurlocks let out a battle cry that would have terrified anyone else. The other genlocks had also overcome their surprise and were preparing their own arrows.

Jordana knew that if she stood still, she was as good as dead but a bow didn't exactly let her move quickly. She had to be satisfied with slowly stepping to the side. Hopefully, it would be enough to cause the genlocks some discomfort. From what she had seen already, they weren't all that skilled with the bow which gave her the advantage. The hulking masses of hurlocks that were charging at her gave them the advantage. Jordana tore her eyes away from the hurlocks and focused on her task. Jensen and Luther would not let her be harmed. She needed to trust them to do their part. She slowed her breathing and fired her next arrow at the second genlock just as he pulled out his own arrow from his quiver. The arrow landed square between the eyes.

A quick glance showed that the hurlocks were covering the distance quickly. There was still one genlock left. As Jordana pulled out her third arrow, the hurlocks were upon her. Just as the closest one raised its sword, Luther tackled it to the ground before running off again. To dodge another hurlock's sword, Jordana rolled to the side. Propped up on one knee, she took aim and fired at the final genlock, killing it instantly. Jensen was suddenly beside her as he engaged the hurlocks. Alistair was behind them in an attempt to flank them while Luther was there to keep the hurlocks off balance by knocking into them or tackling them to the ground. None of them wanted to risk Luther swallowing darkspawn blood so he was forbidden from biting them.

The hurlocks had been ill prepared for the attack and were quickly killed. Jordana barely had time to react or find a shot before they were all dead. Jordana got to her feet and looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Jensen continued down the path and the others had to hurry to catch up. The path turned sharply and revealed the Tower of Ishal and a whole lot of darkspawn. They had gathered around the door – which had splintered – and there were a few lining the road. There was a mixture of genlocks and hurlocks and swords. There didn't look to be any archers which was surprising. Jensen and Alistair immediately charged into battle. Luther waited until the darkspawn were distracted until he joined the fray.

Jordana remained where she was standing and fired her arrows at the darkspawn that were furthest from Alistair and Jensen. This way, they wouldn't get swarmed and she wouldn't accidently hit them. Things were going well until she noticed a hurlock running towards her. Jordana did some quick thinking and then an idea occurred to her. She fired an arrow through the hurlock's boot and foot, pinning him in place. The hurlock let out a cry that was a mix between pain and fury but it was cut short when Jordana fired a second arrow through its chest. When the final darkspawn collapsed under Alistair's blow, Jordana realised that they had already developed an effective way of fighting as a team. It was quite amazing that it had developed so quickly and easily. Jensen approached the door and silently opened it until there was a crack that he could peer through. Jordana and Alistair approached silently while keeping an eye on their surroundings. The last thing they needed was an ambush.

"The way in is clear but I can make out a few darkspawn further in," Jensen explained in a soft voice. "If we move carefully and quietly, we'll be able to ambush them."

It was a solid plan, aside from the fact that two of them were wearing heavy armour. Even if Jensen and Alistair could somehow learn to step silently within the next few seconds, their armour would still make a noise. The closer they got to the darkspawn, the likelier they would be discovered before they could even raise their swords. The look on Jensen's face said it all though: he had taken charge, despite the fact that Alistair was technically the senior Grey Warden of the pair, and he wasn't in a mood to be argued with. Jordana always knew that Jensen was more of a leader than she could ever be but his stubbornness would be their undoing. Still, this seemed like a good opportunity to prove this to him. A handful of darkspawn wouldn't kill them.

"Heavy armour isn't the best for stealth, Jensen," Jordana reasoned, hoping that if she didn't openly criticize his plan, he would be more willing to listen. She had to try, after all.

"We don't have time to argue," he hissed back. "We need to reach the top of the Tower by the time the signal is sent."

Jensen then focused his attention on slowly opening the door so the hinges wouldn't creak and blow their ambush before it was even ready. Jordana huffed in annoyance and blew the fringe out of her eyes. Knowing it was coming didn't make it any easier to deal with and Luther whined in sympathy. What Jensen seemed to have forgotten was that Jordana had been trained in stealth. Wielding a heavy sword and shield was not becoming of a lady, especially not when said lady came from nobility. Jordana had been trained in archery and daggers but she had also been trained in moving silently or disappearing entirely, if need be. Stealth required patience and cunning and knowing when to strike or how to step – all of which Jensen lacked. In the past, Jordana had used these skills to avoid her mother when there was a particularly boring lesson planned or when she had played a prank on a poor, unsuspecting guard, mostly because she never thought that her survival would ever depend on them. She definitely had experience and practise and yet, Jensen was ignoring her advice.

By this point, Jensen had managed to open the door silently and he crouched low so he could walk slowly. Alistair followed, mimicking his posture, and Luther walked behind him. Jordana carefully walked through the door. The room was circular although the wall opened into a larger hallway on the opposite side of the room. Torch brackets lined the walls at equal intervals but only a few were lit, probably to replicate the amount of light the darkspawn encountered in the Deep Roads. This just proved Jordana's theory. The darkspawn favoured the dark, as if the name didn't make it obvious. Despite this, the darkspawn didn't seem to mind some light. Perhaps a couple of fires were normal and too much would be harmful. It was a theory worth investigating.

The darkspawn were not as stupid as she had been led to believe, either. They must have realised that someone would attempt to retake the Tower and had prepared accordingly. Barricades had been set up in a circular maze fashion: basically, they followed the layout of the room but it also funnelled whoever decided to charge in towards the centre where a group of darkspawn was waiting. The barricades themselves looked like they had been hastily fashioned from whatever could be scavenged from the Tower with a couple of spikes and pointy things to dissuade anyone from using it as cover or jumping over it. The darkspawn was a small group of genlocks armed with bows and arrows to pick off their targets at their leisure.

Jordana hated to admit it but this was surprisingly well thought out, more so than their own plan. Being put to shame on a tactical level by darkspawn? Insulting…for Jensen, anyway. She found it slightly funny, in a very morbid way of course. The sparse lighting cast heavy shadows around the room which worked in their favour. Jensen halted nearby to try to figure something out while Alistair and Luther knelt beside him, trying to find some way through the barricades without alerting the darkspawn. It gave Jordana a chance to look over the barricades with a critical eye and she noticed something that suddenly made her very glad that Jensen didn't charge off.

The entrance to the barricade – the only opening left completely unobstructed, providing the only way forward – had a barrel sitting on either side, cleverly obscured by the barricade posts. The barrels were out of place because they didn't provide any advantage, such as bolstering the barricades or slowing down victims. Barrels weren't known for their ability to hold up in battle…unless…Jordana quietly stepped past Jensen and she was careful to stay within the shadows. She didn't creep too close to the barrels but stopped as soon as she could get a better look. Sure enough, there was a thin piece of wire that was barely visible that connected the two barrels. It had been secured at ankle height. This was…intriguing. No one ever mentioned that the darkspawn were capable of laying traps. They were sorely underestimated. No wonder the guards had been killed so easily.

Jordana headed back towards Jensen and Alistair. Jensen sent her an annoyed look while Alistair looked mildly curious. Knowing that even the softest sound could alert the darkspawn to their presence, she had to settle on pointing in the general direction of the barrels and hope they realised why they were so important. The men looked in the direction and then stared at her blankly. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pointed again. They glanced at her unsurely, almost as if they wondered if she took a blow to the head while they weren't watching. Jordana realised she had to rely on her skills at charades. Unfortunately, she was never very good and only Mother ever understood her.

Using her right hand, she used it to show the height of the barrel and then used both hands to show the shape of it. Then she held up on one hand with her palm facing her chest and tightened her other hand into a fist behind the first hand to represent the barrels behind the barricade. When they continued to look at her in confusion, she pointed yet again in the direction of the trap. Just when she lost all hope of becoming the next champion of charades, Alistair's expression brightened and he focused on her again, using his hands to imitate an explosion. Jordana nodded. At least Alistair understood it was a trap. Jensen watched Alistair and then looked again before he finally understood. Jordana never thought she and Jensen would ever be so out of sync. Usually, they had little trouble understanding one another.

Jensen then used one arm in a chopping motion. Jordana thought about it. The trap might be easy to disarm but…she gestured at her eyes and then pointed to the darkspawn. Thankfully, they both understood that one just fine. Jensen replied with a flurry of hand gestures that made absolutely no sense to Jordana but she got the gist of it: attempt to disarm the trap while they watched her back. She missed the part about what to do if the darkspawn actually caught them. Jordana cast one last look towards the darkspawn before heading towards the trap. She made sure to stay low to the ground and she also kept the barricade between her and the darkspawn, hoping it would block their line of sight.

Once she reached the trap, she knelt on the floor and closely examined the wire and the way it connected the barrels. If she yanked the wire, the trap would activate anyway. Even removing the pins that the wire was tied to might set it off. The only way was to release the tension of the tripwire which meant she had to cut it. As silently as she could, Jordana pulled out one of her fighting daggers. Once it was out, she glanced towards the darkspawn and noticed they were still at ease. Good. Very carefully, Jordana used her left hand to hold the wire steady and then used her dagger to silently slice through the wire. She had never been so grateful to a smith before because the blade was extremely sharp and cut through the wire effortlessly and, more importantly, silently.

With the trap deactivated, Jordana returned to Jensen and Alistair. It was too risky to sheath her dagger again so she just carried it. Jensen then gave them all orders with clearer hand signals and slower motions. Apparently, he and Alistair were going to try to sneak through the barricade and take the darkspawn by surprise. Jordana and Luther would wait in the shadows. As soon as the men attacked, Luther would charge after them because he could cover large distances fairly quickly and Jordana would fire her arrows. It didn't sound like a great plan but they didn't have any other option. Jordana slunk deeper into the shadows and was pleased to see Jensen's surprise at her disappearance. Luther remained close to her and ready for an action. Jordana silently took an arrow from her quiver and pulled the bowstring back until it touched the corner of her lips. It was aimed directly at the first archer because he was likely to see Jensen and Alistair coming first.

Normally, charging into the fray would have been the way to go however the barricades and the archers complicated things. Jordana understood this but what she didn't understand was why Jensen was so opposed to the idea of having her kill them with her bow and all this sneaking around would be unnecessary and it would probably be much quicker. Perhaps he didn't have faith in her abilities? It was a treacherous thought but it was plausible. Jordana had doubts about her own abilities yet the thought that Jensen didn't think she could do it…well, it hurt. There was also a possibility that she was overthinking this, she reminded herself.

Jensen and Alistair were about to reach the darkspawn. Just as Jordana predicted, the darkspawn heard their heavy armour and started to search for them. She released the bowstring and the arrow hit the darkspawn right between the eyes. As she reached for another arrow, she ducked behind a column as the darkspawn blindly fired arrows in the area she had just been standing. At least the darkspawn were distracted from Jensen and Alistair. As soon as Jordana had this thought, the two warriors revealed themselves and Jordana stepped out from behind her column, killing another darkspawn. Luther barrelled through the barricades and used his weight to bring down a nearby darkspawn. Jensen executed it before it could get up again.

The attack had been effective but it hadn't been silent. More darkspawn came rushing in from the hallway beyond. Jordana instantly killed the hurlock in front. As soon as it collapsed to the floor, it started to trip up those that were following which bought Jensen and Alistair the time they needed to refocus. Unfortunately, it also gave the darkspawn time to notice her. An archer fired an arrow which only narrowly missed her. Jordana narrowed her eyes in annoyance and then fired her own arrow at the archer, killing it a moment later. Chaos followed as the darkspawn struggled through and over the barricades while tripping over their fallen comrades. Jensen and Alistair continued to hack and slash. Luther used his weight to knock a few darkspawn off balance and Jordana fired an arrow at whichever target she spotted. The number of darkspawn thinned dramatically. When the last one fell, Jordana jogged over to the others and quickly grabbed a few arrows from one of the dead archers to refill her quiver. It wasn't like they needed them anymore.

The silence that followed was almost deafening after the battle. It was unnerving and calming at the same time. It meant that they had a moment to catch their breath but it also meant that they had not yet encountered the numbers of darkspawn that had managed to overrun the Tower. More were waiting for them and it just made their job a lot harder. Jensen led the way further into the Tower and they knew they needed to find some stairs. Doors lined the walls but most of them opened into small rooms that they could only guess the use of. A couple of times, the darkspawn had used the rooms to stage ambushes. One door opened into a very interesting discovery.

The room itself was very uninteresting. It was small and square. Any furniture that had once belonged in here had been broken and the pieces tossed aside carelessly. Cobwebs covered the corners in the ceiling. The majority of the floor was taken up by a huge hole in the ground. It was wide, taking up almost the entire room, and obviously very deep. It was too dark to see the bottom. Apparently, the guards were telling the truth and it certainly didn't look ridiculous now. Jensen and Alistair carefully walked to the edge of the hole and peered down while Jordana investigated the floor nearby.

"I guess we know how the darkspawn got in," Alistair pointed out.

"If the men fought as much as we have been led to believe, where are their bodies?" Jensen asked in annoyance.

Jordana was quite surprised by her brother's tone. Any ambush would take even the most well trained soldiers by surprise and f her guess was right, only soldiers with minimal training had been posted here. It would make more sense to send the well trained soldiers into battle and keep the less experienced ones behind. Rather than point any of this out to Jensen, she knelt closer to the ground to get a better look. Unfortunately, this guess had been right. There were long, deep grooves in the dirt and wider marks that all led to the hole.

"I don't think you want to know," she commented and stood up straight.

"What do you mean?" Jensen asked with a frown.

Jordana pointed at the ground. "It looks like they were dragged into the hole. It would also appear that some had been alive at the time, if these fingernail marks are any indication. Personally, I'm not surprised the guards fled. It must have been horrible to watch as your comrades were dragged into the abyss, kicking and screaming while you stand there, helpless."

Her words had the desired effect. Jensen's expression paled a bit and he looked away from the hole. Jordana was trying to teach him not to be so judgemental all of the time. First impressions were rarely accurate and even if they were, people changed over time. It wasn't fair to make assumptions based on scraps of information. Alistair must have realised that they were having a private thing because he looked between the two curiously before deciding the hole was far more interesting. Jordana wouldn't have noticed if he didn't keep looking up.

Jensen's expression suddenly hardened. "We should move on. We have a job to do and a lot of darkspawn on the way."

Without another word, Jensen exited the room. Alistair followed behind him. Jordana exchanged a look with Luther. The Mabari cocked his head to the side and whined what sounded like a question. Jordana shrugged in answer. Jensen's sudden change of expression could have been because of a million different things and she didn't have the time to stand around, trying to figure it out. She jogged to catch up with the others and Luther remained close to her side. They continued to fight their way through the Tower of Ishal. The darkspawn had had the time to properly get settled in and set traps along the way but Jordana's keen eye prevented any injuries and she was able to disable any traps. The first few had been difficult but she was starting to understand how they worked and how to take them apart.

As they neared the top of the Tower, they grew more aware of how little time they had so they didn't waste it by attempting to set any ambushes. Rather, they kept pushing forward and killed any darkspawn that they crossed paths with. It was tiring work and when Jordana's quiver was only half full, she decided to fight with her daggers instead. There was still a chance that they might be needed in the battle and she wanted to keep some arrows just in case. When they finally reached the last door, they halted outside to catch their breath once again. Knowing their luck, the top floor would probably be swarming with darkspawn.

Jensen looked back at Jordana and Alistair and they nodded in response. He kicked the door open with his sword and shield at the ready but he hesitated in the doorway. Jordana didn't blame him. Inside was a large creature that she didn't quite know how to explain. It was huge, for starters. Easily twice the height of Jensen. It was also wide but this didn't mean it was fat. On the contrary, it looked to be made up entirely of muscle. A pair of sharp horns grew on its head and they looked as deadly as any sword. It wore little armour – just enough to cover its lower half which meant its chest was bare. Jordana guessed this was its weakness. As Jensen and Alistair entered the room, the…thing turned around and let out a terrifying screech. It looked hungry.

Jordana could feel the colour drain from her face. How in the name of the Maker were they supposed to defeat this…this ogre? Apparently, Jensen and Alistair didn't share her doubts because they charged into battle with their shields raised high. Jensen immediately caught the ogre's attention from the front while Alistair flanked it from behind, attempting to get at his legs. The ogre swung his arm out and knocked Alistair off his feet and it grabbed Jensen with its free hand. This sight was enough to force Jordana into action. She sheathed her daggers and drew her bow, pointing an arrow at the ogre's hand. Just as it lifted Jensen off the ground, Jordana fired the arrow. The arrow hit its hand and pierced the flesh.

The ogre dropped Jensen and let out another snarl. It turned and locked its eyes onto Jordana. Panic started to grip her heart but she forced it away as she aimed another arrow. The ogre started to charge at her with its head bent low so its horns were level with her chest. Jordana ignored Jensen when he shouted her name and when Luther let out a howl. At the last possible second, Jordana fired her arrow, just as the ogre lifted its head a fraction and then rolled out of the way. The arrow had hit the ogre's eye and then collided into the wall. Dust rained down from the ceiling due to the force. It stumbled around blindly for a few seconds as it tried to get rid of the arrow in its eye.

Jordana repositioned herself so she was on the same side of the room as the others. They exchanged a wary glance while they had the chance, trying to come up with an idea to kill this thing. The chest was exposed but its skin was thick so there was still some protection. The throat might be a weakness, assuming they could get to it. Jensen's expression slowly changed and Jordana knew right away that she wasn't going to like this plan. Sure enough, when Jensen started to give everyone their orders, it sounded like a bad plan but she knew they had no other ideas and not enough time. Alistair and Jensen approached the ogre from opposite directions while Jordana held her ground.

Just as the ogre had given up and was preparing to charge at her again, she fired another arrow into its other eye. It stumbled around again, clawing at its face. She almost felt sorry for it. Almost but not quite. Alistair ran in from behind and used his sword to cut the back of the ogre's legs, weakening them. He was forced to roll out of the way when the ogre nearly stepped on him. Jensen took his cue and charged at the ogre. He jumped onto its chest which immediately knocked it off balance, between being blind and weakened legs. As it slowly collapsed to the floor, Jensen used his sword to slit its throat and then drove his blade into its face. It was a savage attack but in this instance, they couldn't be too careful.

Jensen breathlessly jumped off the corpse and nodded at the fireplace. "Light the flare."

"We've probably already missed the signal," Alistair pointed out though he went to light it anyway.

Jordana walked over to a nearby window which overlooked the valley below. From this vantage point, she could clearly see the battle below and where Loghain's army were waiting for the signal to join the others. She glanced over her shoulder n time to see Alistair light the flare. She looked out again, expecting Loghain's forces to march into the valley. Instead, they…left? Jordana couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What's happening?" Alistair called from the fireplace.

"Loghain…left," Jordana said in a disbelieving whisper.

Jensen and Alistair hurried over and looked through the window. It was obvious that the battle turned south almost immediately. Jensen started to mutter insults and curses under his breath while Alistair was making plans to get down to the valley and join the battle. They were too angry and did not hear Luther's growl. Jordana was still in a state of shock, praying that this was a nightmare and when she woke up, she would be lying in her bed at Highever. It wasn't until Luther's growl became more urgent that she looked away from the valley. Luther was standing near the door they had come through and was growling angrily. That was not a good sign.

She hurriedly put her bow away and drew her daggers. This was enough to distract Jensen and Alistair from their thoughts. Luther backed away from the door, slowly, and his growls were becoming angrier which meant whatever was in the corridor was drawing closer. They all drew their weapons and the door was suddenly kicked in by a darkspawn. They were much better prepared for this ambush and immediately fired arrows into the room. Jensen and Alistair raised their shields up immediately but Jordana was not fast enough. She was able to dodge any killing shots but an arrow still hit her right upper arm, just below the shoulder. Pain shot down her entire arm and she accidently dropped her dagger. In that moment, a second arrow hit her in the chest.

The armour was apparently worth every copper because the arrow didn't pierce it. It was still enough to knock Jordana off her feet. Her whole chest hurt and it was impossible to catch her breath. Even as she tried to breathe, she could hear the sounds of battle around her as Jensen and Alistair fought the darkspawn. She glanced up and saw a hurlock approaching her. With her uninjured arm, she weakly grabbed her dagger but before she could even try to do anything, Luther tackled the darkspawn and killed it instantly before charging off again. She would have collapsed to the floor in relief but she still couldn't breathe.

"We need to get out of here," Jensen shouted from one side of the room. "We're too exposed and the stairs funnel them in here."

Alistair soon appeared at her side and helped her sit up. When she shook her head, he placed her uninjured arm over his shoulders and used his shield arm to support her weight. Then he pulled her to her feet. Jensen had already cleared a path to the door and Luther dashed behind them to retrieve her fallen dagger while Alistair half-carried Jordana to the door. She had no idea what the plan was and she knew she had to trust them so she focused on trying to breathe. It was harder than it sounded.


	6. Lothering

**Sorry for the delay. After finishing my **_**Mass Effect**_** story, I decided to take a brief break from writing. It's the first time I have ever finished a story so I'm quite proud of that achievement. Turns out this break was more important than I realised as we got a puppy and he has been a handful so I wouldn't have gotten much done anyway. Thank you for your patience and continued support. For readers of my **_**Ghost from the Past**_** fic, please head on over to my profile.**

**Thank you for all of the reviews, favourites and alerts. I'm quite surprised by how popular this story has suddenly gotten. I look forward to hearing any feedback you may have so please review.**

**And a very special thank you to csorciere for your continued support and your reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.**

**Chapter 6: Lothering**

"I can't believe they're all gone," Alistair commented softly.

Jordana couldn't tell if he was still in a state of disbelief or if it was simple denial. She tried to give Alistair a sympathetic look but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain. Perhaps letting Jensen tend to her injury had not been a smart move; he was a warrior after all and warriors weren't typically known for their soft or gentle hands. Jensen had just finished cleaning her upper arm where the arrow had cut her deeply and was now wrapping a bandage over it. It still burned and it hurt a lot whenever she moved her arm which meant she probably wouldn't be firing off any arrows any time soon. It also meant she would be reduced to fighting with a single dagger in her left arm for a while. Her chest where the arrow had hit her armour still hurt but at least she could breathe again.

The flight from the Tower of Ishal was all a blur of darkspawn and running. The stairs leading up the Tower had been swarmed and rather than fight every single one, Jensen and Luther used their strength to knock the darkspawn out of the way. Alistair had half carried, half dragged Jordana down the stairs following close behind the other two before the darkspawn could get back onto their feet. They had known immediately that they were outnumbered so they retreated into the Korcari Wilds and continued to run through the night and most of the next day. It didn't take a genius to figure out that General Loghain had left them all for dead and everyone who had been on the battlefield had been killed, King Cailan and Duncan included. Jordana suspected that had Alistair not been responsible for her safety, he probably would have gone off in search of Duncan and the other Grey Wardens without any hesitation which would have probably resulted in his own death.

As soon as they couldn't run anymore, they had set up a small camp in a circular clearing next to a small stream. It wasn't ideal because they had no camping equipment with them and pretty much no supplies, aside from what Jordana had stored in her backpack which included a handful of health poultices and very basic food supplies. Jensen had tended to her injury almost immediately and it was hard to tell whether he was making it better or worse. He definitely did not have a future in healing; that much was clear. The others had escaped any injuries, aside from a few superficial scratches and bruises.

Jordana looked away from the bandage that Jensen was wrapping around her arm to Alistair. He was sitting on a rock and staring morosely at the floor. It was completely different from the upbeat, grinning and joking young Grey Warden that she had met a couple of days ago. Jordana wasn't surprised by this change though. Every Grey Warden, aside from the two of them, was dead. Duncan was dead. Alistair looked up to him and he was a father figure to the junior Grey Warden. This loss in particular had hit Alistair hard. Jordana knew the pain he was going through all too well and she just couldn't believe that they had been betrayed again so soon. She vaguely wondered who had lost more: Alistair or her and Jensen. Then she realised it wasn't a competition. Any loss was painful and comparing wouldn't help anything.

The camp was silent. Jordana wanted to say something to help Alistair but nothing came to mind. 'I'm sorry' wouldn't help. She knew those words didn't help her. It was the default choice whenever speaking to someone who was grieving which just made the words sound hollow and insincere. Jensen suddenly tightened the bandage before securing it in place. He then muttered something about looking around and then disappeared into the trees. Jordana watched him go, a frown on her face. It looked as though her brother was upset with her for getting injured. That was absurd. Not everyone could use a shield. She shook her head and then looked at Alistair again.

"Duncan seemed like a great man," she told him. "I only regret that I couldn't get to know him better."

Alistair didn't look up but there was a ghost of a smile on his face. "I owed him everything. I just wish I could have been fighting by his side."

"He saved your life by sending you to the Tower," she pointed out gently.

Alistair didn't reply and he looked up at her. "Have you ever lost someone?"

Jordana looked away because she didn't want him to see the pain that the question caused. "I've lost enough to know what you're going through."

She didn't want to tell him that she'd lost everyone she'd ever known in a single night because Alistair struck her as the kind of man to feel guilty for asking that question and she didn't want to diminish his own grief. The question had also reminded Jordana of the dream she'd had a few nights back about her mother. She didn't tell Jensen about it, mostly because she wasn't entirely sure what she had seen. Was it possible that Eleanor might still be alive? Or had the dream been just that – a dream? Jordana wanted to believe with every fibre of her being that her mother was still alive somehow, just like she hoped for Alistair's sake that maybe a few Grey Wardens had escaped the carnage. Duncan's survival was…unlikely.

Jensen returned a few minutes later and sat down again. "We've lost the darkspawn, for the moment. They must still be at Ostagar and not worried about a handful of people who escaped."

"Why would Loghain betray us, betray King Cailan?" Alistair demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jensen asked.

Jordana rolled her eyes. "Can you stop being an ass for five minutes?" Jensen was taken aback by her response and stared wordlessly at her. Jordana decided to continue before he remembered how to talk. "It is possible that Loghain might want the throne but then why was he so adamant that Cailan stay away from the Grey Wardens?"

Alistair had picked up on her familiarity with the late king and was confused by it but he didn't comment on it. "I don't know. I never thought Loghain would be capable of something like this, especially considering his daughter was married to the King."

Jordana tilted her head to the side. "I don't think his reasons matter that much anymore. Knowing the whys doesn't exactly change anything."

"We need a plan," Jensen suddenly decided. "To get to Loghain and make him pay for his treachery."

Jordana gave him a look. "So…what? We just ignore the Blight and hope it goes away?"

"She's right," Alistair agreed. "We're Grey Wardens. We need to stop the Blight."

"The Blight just killed everyone and wiped out an entire army," Jensen argued and pointed his hand in the general direction of Ostagar. "We're just two Grey Wardens. We don't have any supplies and we have no idea how to defeat the Archdemon, unless you know something I don't. What do you suppose we should do?"

Jordana rolled her eyes. Clearly, Jensen had forgotten how much pain grief could cause as he was completely ignoring Alistair's losses and Alistair was starting to get annoyed though his exact reasons were unknown. He didn't say anything but it was plain on his face. Jensen didn't notice as he continued to stare at them expectantly, waiting for someone to come up with a plan he approved of.

"The supplies shouldn't be an issue," Jordana decided. "There's a village not far from here. I think it's called Lothering. We passed through when we were travelling with…" Her eyes drifted to Alistair and she decided to correct herself. "When we were heading to Ostagar. We can buy supplies, get a night's rest and come up with a plan in the morning."

"And how do you suggest we pay for these supplies?" Jensen demanded.

"I took money from the Treasury," she replied in an even tone. "Some of us actually plan ahead and think of others." Jensen stared at her at a loss for words but she was on a roll. "You're too busy thinking about avenging those you lost that you're completely ignoring what you still have. I nearly died in the Tower of Ishal and all you can do is sulk. What happened to my brother who would watch my back, no matter what? I guess he died with everyone else." Then she looked at Alistair. "I'm going to Lothering. You're welcome to join me."

Then she got to her feet and picked up her backpack that had been sitting on the floor by her feet without a backwards glance. Luther whined softly, looking between his mistress and her brother. Jordana tried to stop the tears from forming and walked forward into the trees. Lothering was to the north and they just needed to walk until the edge of the Korcari Wilds. There would be a path that would lead them the rest of the way. Her anger was still bubbling beneath the surface but even then, her loneliness was pushing through. This was the one time she desperately needed Jensen and he was pushing her away. First it was about avenging their parents and now it was about avenging everyone at Ostagar. If that wasn't bad enough, he was even trying to force Alistair on a similar path.

Jordana looked down at the floor, a sense of despair filling her heart. There was no trace of Fergus anywhere and everyone who had been at Ostagar was dead, including the King, the King's Army and the Grey Wardens. General Loghain was a traitor, just like Arl Howe, only he was likely to manipulate his daughter and become King which left them powerless to do anything against him. To top it all off, there was a Blight with no army to meet it. How in the Maker's name were they supposed to stop it, especially considering Jensen wasn't interested in doing his duty despite his promise to Duncan? Perhaps Alistair would be able to talk some sense into him. If he was so set on getting vengeance, he could at least wait until Ferelden was safe…assuming they could do anything about it.

Luther whined again and Jordana looked down. He was walking next to her, easily keeping pace, and he looked up with his warm brown eyes. Jordana could see her Mabari did not approve of her and Jensen fighting. She didn't like fighting with him either. It felt like a lifetime ago that they had gone for a ride at dusk and were pushing each other into the river. The memory bought a small smile to her face until she remembered little Oren, lying on the floor, lifeless. She stopped walking and closed her eyes. The memory was still too vivid and far too painful. It didn't help either that the more she tried not to cry, the more her chest hurt because of the arrow.

"Are you all right?" Alistair suddenly asked.

When Jordana looked up, she found he was standing right in front of her, a look of concern on his face.

"I'm fine," she answered quickly and was pleased when her voice was steady.

"Perhaps we could rest a bit?" he suggested and by 'we', he meant 'you'.

"Really, I'm fine," Jordana assured. "Just…remembering. Besides, we have a lot of ground to cover."

When she looked past Alistair, she was surprised to find Jensen standing just behind him. He was avoiding her eyes and the scowl that had been present on his face since Highever had been replaced by some other emotion, perhaps guilt. Jordana smiled at Alistair reassuringly and they continued on. The Korcari Wilds proved troublesome to navigate as few people ever travelled through it which meant there were no well-worn paths. The trees were clustered close together so that their canopies created an atmosphere of closeness and it also did a wonderful job of capturing the heat. The ground was covered with thick bushes and the roots of the trees sometimes stuck out, tripping the unwary traveller. It was also extremely humid and it felt as though there was a constant cloud of mosquitos buzzing around their heads. A few loose rocks just added to the fun.

There was little conversation as they walked. It had little to do with the fact that they were each annoyed with each other for some or other reason (the exception being Jordana and Alistair) but more to do with their exhaustion and difficulty with finding something to talk about. The topic of background was not appealing to Jordana. She doubted that Alistair was secretly working for Arl Howe yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him that they were the well-known Couslands from Highever. There was too much pain and too many memories to broach this topic although she found herself curious about Alistair's background. To have his skill with sword and shield, he must have had some formal training yet his stance and his almost awkward behaviour around her made her think he was not of noble birth. Where then did he receive his training?

Jensen was in one of his moods again although it was hard to tell which mood. It wasn't anger because his hands were not clenched tightly in fists. This might have been progress, if Jordana could be sure he wasn't concocting another way to get his revenge, on Arl Howe and General Loghain. Perhaps he was deep in thought? Jensen was not one for dwelling on matters or thinking too hard about much. He preferred to make decisions in the moment and follow his instincts. Some referred to it as recklessness. Others preferred the term "reactive". On a few occasions, his instincts had been right but they had also been wrong once or twice. It was unusual for him to be so…pensive.

They eventually made it to Lothering and would have left the cobblestone path if their way wasn't blocked. A group of…well, they weren't bandits. They weren't outfitted correctly. Nor were they mercenaries. Ruffians might have been the right term to describe them. They were a mismatched group of men with armour that looked barely capable of hanging together, never mind stopping an arrow. They all had swords which looked blunt. They were surrounded by crates and there was an overturned cart. Jordana suspected they were extorting refugees that wanted access into Lothering and their threatening appearance was enough for those desperate souls. The ruffians immediately gathered around and blocked off the road into Lothering.

At first, Jordana paid little attention to the conversation. One of the ruffians had caught her attention, only because he was twice the size of his companions. He could pose a serious threat, if only because he didn't know his own strength. Even though he was a bit slower than the others, he was much smarter as he had recognised that the small group didn't look like any of the other refugees that had passed through. Jordana hoped they could avoid this fight but Jensen was doing the talking so she doubted it was possible. She had also noticed that the ruffians' leader kept glancing in her direction and it was starting to get annoying.

"We won't be paying your toll," Jensen suddenly growled.

Jordana noticed that the ruffians suddenly tensed and gripped their weapons. "You might want to think this through before you draw your weapons," she suggested calmly.

"What do you mean?" the big one asked with a confused look.

"Do you really think you stand a chance against _us_?" she asked and gestured at Jensen, Alistair and Luther. "Two highly trained warriors, an excellent archer and one angry Mabari?"

To illustrate her point, Luther took a few steps forward and growled menacingly. Jensen and Alistair looked at her in a way that said "What exactly are you planning?" and she shrugged in response. A few ruffians nervously stepped back from the others, worried that they might be Luther's next meal. The leader paled a bit, finally realising he was out of his league. Apparently, he hadn't noticed that said excellent archer was in no condition to fire any arrows.

"You're welcome to give it a go but it's your funeral," she continued. "Although, I would suggest you leave this instant and never come back."

The leader attempted to laugh confidently. "We're tougher than we look, sweetheart."

Jordana raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Very well. Luther?"

Luther pounced on the leader and had him pinned to the ground in an instant. He kept his teeth mere millimetres away from the man's neck and growled whenever he moved. The other ruffians bolted and ran away while the big guy looked at a total loss. He must have been unaccustomed to making his own decisions. The leader squeaked and let go of his sword hilt, softly begging for mercy. Jordana looked over at Jensen and Alistair and found that they were watching her in surprise. Whether it was because they hadn't expected Luther to attack or because she was handling things so calmly, she didn't know. All she knew was she was too tired to fight.

Jensen knelt beside the man, apparently using this opportunity to their advantage. "Tell us what has happened recently."

The man looked torn between fear and confusion. "Nothing, nothing. Except refugees and that General and his army passing through."

"General Loghain passed through Lothering?" Alistair asked.

The man nodded fervently. "Yes. About a day ago. So…can I go?"

"Not until you hand over everything that you've taken," Jordana ordered.

"Yes. Of course. Everything is here," the man replied.

"Luther?" Jordana asked.

The Mabari growled in answer.

"Fine, fine," the man squeaked and pulled out a coin purse. "Now that's everything."

Jordana looked at Jensen to see if he was finished with his interrogation and he nodded. She whistled softly and Luther slowly backed up, his eyes never leaving the man's face.

"It would be wise if you never returned to Lothering," Jordana suggested.

The man agreed before grabbing his large friend and running in the opposite direction. Jordana picked up the coin purse and was quite surprised by how heavy it was.

"We should take this to the Chantry," Jordana decided. "I'm sure the Revered Mother can make sure the coins get back to the people who lost them."

"Agreed," Jensen replied. "And maybe she might know more about Loghain."

Jordana resisted the urge to sigh.

Alistair shook his head. "He's probably going to Denerim and he already has a head start. If we catch up with him, I'll deal with it. For the time being, we should focus on the Blight and stopping the darkspawn."

Jordana was quite surprised that he had been the one to stand up to Jensen and also the anger in his voice. It just didn't suit him and was out of character for him. Jensen didn't argue with him so they headed towards the village. The first sight that greeted them was a makeshift camp made by the refugees. The white tents had been put up very close together in an empty field and people huddled together in fear. Children were crying but it was hard to tell if it was from fear or hunger. They had very little in terms of personal belongings, not much more than the clothes on their back. Templars were patrolling the village and Jordana realised they were probably the closest thing to protection that this village had. Just behind the refugee camp, a tall building was easily recognised as the Chantry.

"Let's split up," Jensen suggested. "Alistair and I will investigate the Chantry. You can go see about the supplies and maybe getting a room at the inn."

Jordana nodded her head in agreement and watched them go. Her eyes drifted back to the refugee camp. She felt useless and wanted to do something that would help them. Perhaps stopping the darkspawn would be enough. If only there was something she could do now…unfortunately, she was not skilled in herbalism. Creating poisons she could do. Healing poultices were over her head though. Jordana shook herself out of it and walked forward, looking for someone who might be able to sell her the things they needed. There was a merchant nearby, selling his wares out of a caravan and he looked like he was arguing with a lay sister from the Chantry.

"Excuse me, my lady," a voice said nearby.

The sudden use of her title put Jordana on edge and she nearly drew her daggers when she realised an Elf had spoken to her. He was standing beside an Elf woman – most likely his wife – and a young child was standing between them. She looked to be on the verge of tears. The Elf who had spoken also had a black eye. Their clothes were common and covered in dirt. These were not Arl Howe's assassins.

"What can I do for you?" she asked calmly.

"Can you spare some coin for my family? We have nothing left," the Elf requested.

Jordana took in the black eye and dishevelled appearances. Their despair had not been caused by the darkspawn. "What happened to you?"

"We were attacked by bandits outside the village," he answered angrily. "They took everything from us, even my daughter's pet lamb."

What would bandits want with a pet lamb? _Oh_. Jordana stopped that line of thinking right there and hoped the young child never figured it out considering there was no lamb in the bandit's stash.

"We met those bandits," she explained. "And we chased them off. They left everything behind and my brother is taking their coin to the Chantry. Perhaps the Revered Mother will give what was stolen back to you."

"Thank the Maker!" the Elf woman suddenly praised.

"Thank you," her husband told her. "We'll go see if our things are still there."

The small family hurried off in the direction of the bandits' crates and Jordana watched them go. It felt good to help someone in need. If every town was as desperate as Lothering then there were a lot of people that would need help. There wasn't enough time to help everyone they crossed paths with but perhaps, if they spared some time then maybe they could make people's lives a little bit easier. With the Blight and the death of King Cailan, the people would need any hope they could find. Jordana sighed quietly as she made her way towards the merchant's caravan. Jensen would not approve. She approached the merchant and was able to buy the things that she needed: food supplies, camping supplies, health poultices and two backpacks.

With one of her tasks complete, she made her way towards the closest – and only – inn. The commons room was packed and every table was occupied. This certainly did not bode well. There was also a group of armed men sitting at the table closest to the fireplace. Many of the patrons were making an effort not to look in their direction. Jordana risked a quick glance. They didn't look like mercenaries. They looked more like soldiers…but that couldn't be right. Loghain had passed through with his entire army days ago, according to the bandit. Why were they still here? An icy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach but she pushed the thought away and approached the barkeep.

"Sorry, we have no rooms and no food," he told her gruffly before she could say anything.

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "Food won't be an issue. You're sure you don't have a spare room? I'm willing to pay double the normal price."

The man considered the offer. "Sorry, lass. Everyone here is a paying customer. I can't kick them out." His eyes drifted over the soldiers and he dropped his voice to a whisper. "Those soldiers there? They're General Loghain's men. They think that means they're special."

Jordana nodded in understanding. "And there isn't anything you can do. Any idea why they're here?"

"Something about finding justice for the King's death," the barkeep answered with a shrug.

Jordana remained silent as she considered this. It didn't make any sense. Loghain was the one responsible for Cailan's death but the presence of the soldiers here implied he was blaming it on someone else. There weren't a lot of people at Ostagar who could openly be blamed for the deaths – true or not – so what was Loghain up to? The door opened just then and Jensen and Alistair walked in. _Maker's breath!_ Loghain was going to pin the blame on the Grey Wardens. Jordana wanted to deny this until the soldiers got to their feet and blocked Jensen and Alistair's path. Silence immediately followed as everyone watched what was going to happen next. Jordana gave the barkeep the supplies for safekeeping and slowly approached the soldiers from behind, Luther walking beside her.

Another woman approached less subtly. She had short cut red hair that reached her jawline and was wearing Chantry robes. Why was a lay sister getting involved? Jordana was so confused that she missed the first part of the conversation between the soldiers and Jensen. Within moments, a brawl broke out. There was no space to use weapons. Jensen and Alistair had their hands full and the lay sister moved pretty fast. Jordana went unnoticed until she grabbed a chair and hit the man closest to her on the head with it. He crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Luther tackled another man so that he hit his head against a table. The obvious leader of the group unexpectedly drew his sword and pointed it at Jensen's chest. Jordana snuck behind the man and raised one of her own daggers to his throat. He was momentarily surprised but his sword arm did not waver.

"He dies, you die," Jordana threatened.

"Please, put your weapons away," the lay sister pleaded in an Orlesian accent. "There is no need for anyone to die."

"Mind your business," the soldier spat. "These Grey Wardens killed King Cailan!"

"We did not," Jensen snapped. "Loghain is responsible for his death!"

Jordana tightened her grip on her dagger's hilt, wincing briefly as her chest suddenly hurt with the exertion of the fight. The adrenaline must be wearing off. Jensen's temper was going to get them all killed. This was a delicate situation and not just because lives were at stake. They had the attention of everyone in the room and anything they saw here would either confirm or deny the rumours. Right now, the villagers only knew what they had heard. If the soldier was killed, then the Grey Wardens would look guilty. If they showed mercy then it could turn the villagers against Loghain, maybe convince them to speak against the rumours too.

Jordana slowly removed her dagger from his throat, much to everyone's surprise. "More violence won't get us anywhere. We already beat your men. If you plan on killing my brother, you won't make it to the door. The decision is yours."

The soldier did nothing at first and glanced around at his fallen comrades. Some were groaning in pain while others were still unconscious. Jensen and Alistair used his distraction to give Jordana a confused look. In response, she mouthed the word '_mercy_' and nodded her head in the direction of the commons room. The soldier slowly sheathed his sword. She took this moment to put away her dagger, now that the danger had passed. He then looked up at Jensen.

"Do I have your word that my men and I can leave with our lives?" he asked.

"On one condition," Jensen replied and took a step closer. "Tell Loghain that the Grey Wardens know what he did."

The soldier nodded his head and he and his comrades helped their unconscious friends out of the door. The other guests immediately returned to whatever they had been doing before and acted like nothing had happened although they were likely discussing what they had witnessed. The lay sister was still standing nearby and her eyes never left Jensen's face.

"You spared those men when you didn't have to," she remarked.

"The Grey Wardens are innocent of the crimes we have been accused of," he answered uneasily. "Killing those men would have shown otherwise."

Jordana fought to hide her amusement. Jensen only spoke this formally when he was attempting to impress a young woman. It had been one of Mother's lessons: always treat a lady with respect, regardless of her lineage. She glanced over to Alistair and he was likewise amused. It was just so different to his behaviour since Ostagar and so familiar that made Jordana treasure this moment.

"I know," the sister replied. "And this is why I am coming with you."

Jensen frowned in confusion. "Wait…what? Soldiers want to kill us. General Loghain has branded us traitors and there's a Blight to stop. Why would you want to join us?"

"Because the Maker told me to," the sister answered unabashedly.

Jordana exchanged a look with Alistair and noticed he was just as confused. "The Maker told you to?"

The young woman must have realised something as her tone was more subdued and less confident. "That must sound crazy to you but it is true."

"We do need all the help we can get," Jordana reminded.

"Perhaps although she does seem an Archdemon short of a Blight," Alistair added quietly.

Jensen massaged his temples before answering. "It's been a long day for us. We need sleep so if you're still intent on joining us in the morning, we'll be here."

"It's nice to see some sense come out of that mouth of yours," Jordana commented and Jensen shot her a look.

The young woman's face brightened and she smiled. "Thank you. You will not regret this. I am Leliana."

Jensen introduced them all and Leliana left the inn excitedly. Jordana had never seen someone so excited to join a group on a suicidal mission which this was as they didn't exactly have the numbers to defeat the Blight. Jordana returned to the innkeeper and retrieved the supplies once again. It was quite easy to convince him to give them the soldiers' room and they wasted no time in heading upstairs. The room was a medium square with a single bed pushed up against the far wall. There was a wooden table beside it with a single oil lamp. Ash glowed dimly in the fireplace along the one wall and another door opened into a small bathroom. While Alistair and Jensen settled in and investigated their new supplies, Jordana had a quick bath. Her injuries stung a bit but the warm water helped soothe the knots in her muscles.

It felt good to finally be clean after Ostagar and the Korcari Wilds. Once she was finished with her bath, she quickly replaced the bandage around her arm and started to clean her armour. It was a simple task, for a change, and allowed her mind to wander. These last few days had been…devastating to say in the least. So much had been lost but it wasn't all bad. Alistair was proving to be a good friend and this Leliana was bound to make things interesting. Crazy wasn't necessarily a bad thing and given their monumental task, perhaps they could do with a little bit of crazy.

By the time Jordana emerged from the bathroom, clean and relaxed, Jensen and Alistair had set up their bedrolls on the floor. Apparently, they were letting her have the bed. They had also taken out some of the food supplies for dinner and had divided it up for three people. Luther had curled up in a ball next to the bed and he was already asleep. Jordana made a mental note to feed him in the morning. Due to a lack of other options, they were all still wearing their armour. Jordana sat down on the floor next to Jensen and he passed her a share of the food. They had also gotten a proper fire going and the warmth was making her sleepy but they couldn't go to bed just yet.

"Any ideas on where we go from here?" she asked as she broke her bread into smaller pieces.

Jensen sighed quietly. "Alistair and I have been discussing this. You remember the treaties we were sent to collect?"

"The ones Flemeth was keeping?" she asked and started to eat her bread.

Alistair nodded. "Those treaties are very old but because King Maric allowed the Grey Wardens to return to Ferelden, these treaties are still very powerful. They will be able to persuade people to join us against the darkspawn. Maybe we'll have a chance at stopping them."

Jordana swallowed and raised an eyebrow. "Who are they for?"

"The Dalish Elves, the Dwarves and the Circle of Magi," Jensen answered.

"I also think we should go to Redcliffe. Arl Eamon still has his army and he is…was King Cailan's uncle. I'm sure he'll help us," Alistair added.

Jordana was quiet for a moment. Her thoughts drifted back to the discussion she'd had with Captain Oswald. Any surviving members of the Highever army would make for Redcliffe, as per her orders. Was there a chance that Fergus might be with them?

"I don't know," Jensen interrupted her musings. "Can we trust him? I mean, look at Loghain. He was respected and he still betrayed us."

"We can trust him," Alistair confirmed with such insistence that led Jordana to believe he knew Eamon better than he let on.

"I agree," she added. "Arl Eamon has a reputation for being a stern but wise man. I doubt he'll take Loghain's word over ours and he'll likely give us an opportunity to at least explain what happened before declaring us traitors."

Jensen scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose."

Jordana understood his hesitation. Arl Howe had been Father's closest friend and they had always heard good things about him from Father but his reputation often countered this. Eamon was different. Every time the Couslands attended a tournament in Redcliffe, they were welcomed with open arms and had stayed as Eamon's esteemed guests. There was no malice from the Arl of Redcliffe. Even Bann Teagan, Eamon's younger brother, was a good friend to the Cousland family. They had nothing to fear from him…except maybe being recognised. As this thought crossed her mind, Jordana glanced towards Alistair. He deserved to know the truth about her and Jensen. Perhaps this wasn't the time.

"Let's look at it this way," Jordana recommended to Jensen. "The food supplies I bought won't last very long because Lothering has little to offer. If we head to Redcliffe, we can get better supplies and then head for the Circle of Magi. It's a short trip and could save us time."

Jensen thought about it for a moment. "All right. If we risk any unwanted attention in Redcliffe, we have an alternative. We'll go there first then."

Alistair instantly looked relieved.

"There's something else we may want to consider," Jordana ventured carefully. "The money I have…well, it won't last forever and we have no idea what we'll face on the road ahead. At the very least, money will be important for supplies and repairs."

"Fair point," Jensen allowed. "What do you suggest?"

"I'm guessing Leliana is going to join us tomorrow but we don't know what she's capable of. Perhaps we hang around Lothering a little bit longer and do the odd job. Some people may pay us and we'll find out what Leliana can do before our lives depend on her," Jordana explained.

"I saw a Chanter's Board outside the Chantry," Alistair interjected. "The Chantry pays you if you complete their jobs."

"It makes sense," Jensen agreed slowly. "But we can't waste too much time in Lothering. Let's do what we can in the morning and get on the road by the afternoon, headed for Redcliffe. Everyone agreed?"

Jordana and Alistair nodded. It felt good to have a plan and knowledge of what they could do. They were on a path to bringing together an army the likes of Ferelden had never seen before. Maybe, just maybe, they had a real shot at defeating the Blight. They continued to eat their food in silence. Jordana wanted to get to know Alistair a bit better – like where he got his training or how he became a Grey Warden – but it wasn't fair to him because she and Jensen wouldn't return the favour, no matter how much she wanted to. This was her decision as much as it was Jensen's and unless they both agreed it was time to tell Alistair who they were, she had to keep it secret. When she finished eating, Jordana went straight to bed. After travelling for so long and then being in the army camp, an actual bed was an unexpected luxury. Her eyes slowly closed and she soon drifted off to sleep.


	7. Good Deeds

**Chapter 7 Good Deeds**

Jordana woke just as golden sunlight streamed in from the window. It must have been just after sunrise. Jensen was still snoring away and Alistair was also fast asleep. It wasn't surprising that she was the first one up. Between the two of them, Jordana was the light sleeper and early riser while Jensen was a heavy sleeper and absolutely hated it when he had to wake up early. It was very difficult to get him out of bed unless he wanted to and on many occasions, the servants had turned to Jordana for advice. Her simplest – and probably favourite – solution was to pour a bucket of water on him. It worked like a charm every time and the look of shocked surprise never got old.

Jordana looked away from the sleeping form of her brother and stared at the ceiling. Once again, she had to come to terms with the fact that everything that had happened was not a nightmare; that they really had happened. It just seemed so surreal sometimes. Who could have predicted a Blight or the death of King Cailan at the hands of his father-in-law? Had someone told her these events would have come to pass in the weeks before, she would have laughed and thought them crazy. Yet…here she was in some cheap inn in the middle of Lothering travelling with the last two Grey Wardens to stop the darkspawn. Even in her mind, it sounded absurd.

She pushed the thought aside. This was real and wishing with all her might that it was not would not change anything. She needed to focus on the here and now. Today, they would meet Leliana and do a few things around town to earn some gold before moving on. Hopefully, there wouldn't be too much fighting involved. The people of Lothering had already suffered enough. Experimentally, Jordana decided to shoot an imaginary bow with the ceiling as her target. Unsurprisingly, her arm protested against the motion and her injury stung. She limply let her arms collapse against her sides once again in frustration. While she didn't expect any miracles, she at least wanted to be able to use her bow and not have to rely on a single dagger in her left hand.

Time passed slowly as she waited for the others to wake up. Even Luther was still sleeping and occasionally dreaming. He must have been chasing rabbits if his kicking legs were any indication. Jordana watched her Mabari in amusement for a moment or two until her thoughts turned to dreams. It was hard to decide which of her dreams were more terrifying: the dragon that felt like pure evil or the possibility that Mother was alive and a prisoner of Arl Howe. Jensen still did not know about these dreams, mostly because he had been so focused on a single thing. Besides, Jordana didn't know if these dreams were true or if she was slowly losing her mind. It had only happened once so far. Perhaps there was no reason to worry?

When Alistair and Jensen finally woke up, they ate a quick breakfast in silence and then prepared for the day. Jordana was able to scrounge up some breakfast for Luther too. By the time they were ready, Leliana was waiting for them outside. She had exchanged her Chantry robes for light leather armour and had a pair of daggers strapped to her back with the hilts sticking out above her shoulders. A backpack was also secured to her back. It was good to see that Leliana had sorted out her own supplies. The excited glint had remained in her bright blue eyes and she looked like she was bursting with energy.

"Well, you're…" Jordana struggled to find a good word to describe this young woman without sounding condescending. "…punctual."

Leliana smiled. "I will not stray from the path that the Maker has set before me."

Jordana did not know how to respond to that and continued to ignore Jensen's almost quiet snickering behind her. It wasn't exactly an eloquent greeting.

"The Chanter's Board?" Jensen asked.

Leliana turned to face the direction of the Chantry. "It is outside and there are a few posts already. Trivial matters, mostly, but they would go a long way to relieving the suffering of the villagers."

"Lead on," Jensen directed.

Leliana was more than happy to oblige and started to walk towards the Chantry. Alistair fell in beside her and they easily struck up a conversation. Jordana walked behind them, still trying to figure out if Leliana was utterly insane or if this vision of hers was similar to the dream about Mother. It took Jordana a few moments to realise that Jensen was walking beside her for once and not leading her. His face wore an expression of concentration and…something else. Indecision? They continued to walk like this for a few moments until Jensen cleared his throat softly. It wasn't to get Jordana's attention so she guessed it was his way of preparing to say…whatever it was he wanted to say.

"I owe you an apology," he said quietly.

Jordana arched an eyebrow, trying not to look like she was enjoying this. "Oh?"

He rolled his eyes in impatience. "You know I do. Don't look so smug."

"Pray tell what it is you're apologising for, brother," Jordana continued with a smirk. "There is a very long list."

"I realised last night that you were right," Jensen explained. "About pretty much everything. I was so set on killing Howe that I forgot the promise I made to Father. I forgot everything he taught us about duty. And I forgot the promise I made to you."

Jordana decided to be serious and looked at her brother carefully. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I will focus on stopping the Blight with Alistair," he admitted. "After that, Howe won't be able to hide."

"So…no more talk about death to the traitors and vengeance?" she ventured.

Jensen finally smiled. "For the time being, at least. Father always taught us to put the needs of the people above our own and that duty should always be our first concern. I couldn't save him but I can still honour his teachings and his memory."

Jordana playfully punched him in the shoulder with her left hand. "Look at you, being all serious and noble." Her amusement was short-lived when a thought occurred to her. "You know we have to tell them, right?"

Jensen gave her a sideways look, his own smile fading. "Do we?"

"We used to go to Redcliffe almost every year, Jensen. You and Fergus competed in the tournaments while I was stuck with the noble ladies. People _will_ recognise us. If not the people, then definitely the nobility," she answered. "And after everything, Alistair at least deserves the truth and he deserves to hear it from us."

He opened his mouth to argue and then smirked. "You like him, don't you?"

If she'd been drinking something, she would have choked on it. For now, she had to settle on looking surprised. "What? He saved my life in Ostagar. That's all."

Their conversation was interrupted when they reached the Chanter's Board. Jensen's smirk obviously said 'I won't forget this conversation anytime soon' and Jordana wanted to avoid it at any costs. Leliana carefully pulled a few pieces of paper from the Board, under the watchful eye of a Chantry brother. Some of the pages were crumbled and had been damaged by water which had caused the ink to run in some places. Other papers were recently stuck to the board and looked in pristine condition when compared to the older papers. Leliana scanned the pages briefly to make sure there weren't any that would waste their time and then passed them to Jensen as he was sort of the unofficial leader.

Jensen paged through them one by one, briefly scanning the contents. "An Elder Miriam is requesting poultices to help the refugees. Bandits need to be taken out on the outskirts of town. The Blight infected some bears so they need to be killed. And the family of Goodwife Sarha wants her remains to be found. Sounds simple enough."

"I'm not very good at making poultices," Jordana pointed out. "Do we have enough to give to Elder Miriam?"

Jensen looked at her in surprise. "I always thought Aldous taught you herbalism."

She shrugged. "He _tried_ to teach me. There's a difference."

He smiled and returned his attention to the note. "Well, she doesn't state how many she needs and hopefully, none of us are planning on getting injured between here and Redcliffe. So…maybe two from each of our supplies?"

"It should be enough to help a lot of refugees," Alistair agreed. "And we still have enough to last us until Redcliffe unless we have really bad luck."

With that decided, they each took out two health poultices and passed them to Jordana, along with the note from the Chanter's Board.

"Do you know Elder Miriam?" she asked Leliana.

The young redhead nodded. "Of course. I can take you to her."

"While you deliver the poultices, Alistair and I will take care of the bears so long," Jensen decided.

Leliana started to retrace their path towards the inn. They passed a few refugees and one or two Templars. They were the only form of protection that remained for the villagers of Lothering and Jordana did not like their chances. A handful of Templars against the Blight? How many people would die before Alistair and Jensen had their army? This line of thinking was starting to get depressing so Jordana curiously peered at Leliana. The young woman was excitedly looking around despite the fact that she lived in Lothering. She treated everything with such excitement and enthusiasm that it was difficult not to like her.

"Leliana, may I ask you a question?" she enquired hesitantly.

Leliana smiled brightly. "Of course."

"About your…vision?"

Leliana's expression became guarded but she still nodded.

"How do you know it was a vision and not just a dream…or nightmare?" Jordana asked, choosing her words carefully.

Leliana must have realised that she was genuinely curious and not about to tease her or insult her vision. "It's hard to explain but I know it was a vision and that it is important. Why do you ask?"

"I…," Jordana hesitated. Even though Leliana was the last person to laugh at her, she didn't know if she was trustworthy or even how to explain it. Dreams always sounded silly when you needed to explain it to someone else. "It doesn't matter."

Leliana looked at her curiously and lightly shrugged her shoulders, almost as if saying "don't worry about it". They passed the inn in silence and found another, smaller refugee camp just past it. A couple of tents were crooked and the refugees themselves were covered in dirt. Their expressions were wary and they huddled together in fear. As Jordana considered this, she also realised that Lothering itself was too quiet. There were no children laughing in joy or running in the streets playing games. Merchants weren't hawking their wares at anyone who passed. The animals even seemed…subdued.

"There's Elder Miriam," Leliana's voice broke through her thoughts.

The woman she nodded towards was…well, the title of 'Elder' was not misplaced. Miriam was short in stature and even from this distance, she looked frail. Her hair was grey and had been pulled back in a tight bun. The wrinkles on her face looked to be from a mixture of hopelessness, exhaustion and stress. Even as Leliana and Jordana approached, she was working very hard to make sure the refugees were comfortable. As they drew nearer, Jordana could also hear Miriam's speech was punctuated by coughing…and a lot of it. Healing poultices didn't do much for the sick but Jordana sincerely hoped they would help a woman who was putting so much effort into helping complete strangers.

"Elder Miriam?" Leliana called, the enthusiastic lilt in her voice obvious. A few refugees looked up at her in curiosity.

Miriam turned around to seek the source and her confused expression changed to a smile. "Leliana. It is good to see you."

"And you," Leliana replied. "This is Jordana."

Jordana inclined her head in greeting. "We found your note on the Chanter's Board. Hopefully, these poultices will be enough."

Miriam was surprised as she received the small collection. "You're a good sort. Unfortunately, I don't have anything to repay this kindness."

Jordana shared a smile with Leliana. "We didn't do this for a reward. Just make sure they get put to good use."

Miriam smiled gratefully and immediately turned to the refugees. Jordana and Leliana turned to leave so they could look for Jensen and Alistair. They approached an old windmill a short distance away and heard some shouting. They exchanged a wary glance and then approached the raised voices carefully. From this distance, Jordana only caught a few words although "Grey Wardens" came across loud and clear. That wasn't a good sign. When they finally got a clear view, there was a small group of farmers yelling and using threatening gestures while Jensen and Alistair kept their distance with Luther pawing the ground between them. It looked like the farmers had grabbed the first thing that even remotely looked like a weapon, likely intent on collecting Loghain's bounty on Grey Wardens. Jordana caught Jensen's attention and he silently gestured towards the farmers, asking for her help. If he attempted anything, it would end in a bloodbath – either because the farmers would think the Grey Wardens were lying or because of Jensen's questionable diplomatic skills.

Jordana walked towards the farmers and stood in between the groups, Leliana right behind her. "We're going to try to end this peacefully so just follow my lead."

"I understand," Leliana whispered back. "These farmers are innocents…if a bit suicidal."

Jordana tried to hide her smirk and then adopted an indifferent demeanour. "Gentlemen!"

The farmers looked over in surprise and an obvious leader stepped forward. "Go home! This is our bounty."

"You have interesting gear for bounty hunters," Jordana observed and she noticed one or two of the villagers paled when they compared their simple clothing with Jensen and Alistair's heavy armour. Another villager's eyes lingered on Alistair's sword for a few moments before looking at Jensen's shield. They had managed to figure out they were out of their league. How long until their leader realised this?

"We're farmers," the leader spat angrily. "The coin from their bounty could make a lot of lives easier."

"It is a noble goal," Jordana agreed. "But I have a few questions, if you'll indulge me. Why is life so hard in Lothering?"

The leader glared at her impatiently. "Because of all the refugees!"

Jordana stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Of course. And why are there refugees?"

"There's a Blight brewing in the south," he answered condescendingly.

Leliana repositioned herself beside Jordana and obviously had no trouble following her line of thought. "It is a fair point. I have to wonder how these farmers intend on stopping the Blight, then."

"Oh, indeed," Jordana replied casually. Their tone was quite conversational and loud enough for everyone to hear. "I mean, if they are prepared to sign the death warrants of the only people who can stop it, they must know how to defeat the darkspawn horde."

The farmers descended into a whispered but frenzied conversation amongst themselves. There were a few angry gestures from the leader while his followers looked like they wanted nothing more than to flee. They were at least smart enough to realise that no bounty was worth their lives and the darkspawn would not be bought off. Even if they had trouble believing that only Grey Wardens knew how to stop the darkspawn, they couldn't afford to risk their entire village because of a rumour. The leader glared at Jordana and then at the Grey Wardens before turning around and leaving with his followers. Jordana and Leliana made their way over to Alistair and Jensen.

"They may try to ambush you again," Jordana warned.

"I don't know," Alistair replied thoughtfully. "They looked pretty shaken up."

"Their leader was pretty determined," Jordana reasoned but she decided it was a problem for another time. "Are the bears taken care of?"

Jensen nodded. "Will you be all right to go against the bandits?"

"I would be more comfortable with my bow," she said as she considered the question. "As long as I don't get swarmed, I should be fine. How many could there be in Lothering?"

"Well, between this group and the 'toll collectors', more than I would have thought," Jensen answered.

"I'll be fine," Jordana repeated. "Besides, we have Leliana now too."

Leliana beamed. "I'll watch your back."

"There we go," Jordana decided. "Problem solved."

Jensen looked between them in confusion. "When did you two become BFFs?"

Jordana only smiled in answer, mainly because she didn't have one. There was just something about Leliana that made her…trustworthy. She didn't look like the type of person who would go back on their word or allow a friend to get injured. Her enthusiasm was contagious and although it had only been an hour or two, Jordana regarded Leliana as a friend and she could tell the feeling was mutual. Yes, Leliana was quite strange but Jordana figured she was quite strange too. She was hardly what people expected of a noble lady. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being a little weird.

Jensen sighed. "Okay then. Let's go find those bandits."

Luther led the way as he sniffed the ground. He easily picked up the bandits' trail and followed it precisely which led them to zig zag or cut through some poor farmer's field. He narrowly missed walking into a tree. He continued around Lothering for the better part of an hour with no clear indication of where they were going. He abruptly stopped and sniffed the ground closely which nearly made Jensen trip over him.

"Jordana, I think your Mabari is broken," he commented.

"He was just following their trail," Jordana argued. "The bandits must have gone through the village in the last day or two."

"Then what is he doing now?" Alistair asked with a frown.

Luther had made a small circle as he continued to sniff and Jordana watched him. "Either, he's lost the trail."

"Or?" Jensen prompted.

Jordana scanned the horizon ahead of them. "_Or_ we're pretty close so the trail that Luther was following has crossed over older trails and he is trying to figure out which one to follow."

Leliana suddenly pointed straight ahead. "Over there. Smoke, probably from a campfire."

Jordana looked to where she was pointing. There was a small hill with a small clear stream following just beyond it. Smoke was drifting up lazily. It was too light to be from a large fire and the only reasonable explanation was a campfire. The bandits must have set up camp along the river, just behind the hill so they would be hidden from view. This worked both ways however and would let them get close before the bandits knew they were there. Jensen and Alistair drew their swords and readied their shields. Leliana took out her daggers and twirled the blades experimentally, almost as if going through a motion she had thought forgotten. Jordana took out one dagger with her left hand, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Fighting one handed suddenly seemed like a very bad idea.

The others rushed ahead with Luther in the lead. She hung back for a moment, trying to decide what to do. Even though she was skilled with dual daggers, her left arm was her weakest and she doubted she would be able to handle a single bandit if all of his attention was fixed on her. So, did she join the battle and possibly get in the way of the others or did she hang back which could potentially get someone else wounded? Had her pride gotten in the way earlier? She contemplated this for a second longer before catching up with the others. She couldn't make a decision until the battle started. If the others noticed her hesitation, they said nothing about it.

As they neared the bandits' camp, Jensen pointed towards the hill. Apparently, he intended on getting the bandits' attention with Alistair which would give Leliana, Luther and Jordana the opportunity to ambush them from behind. Leliana and Luther immediately veered off the path and Jordana watched as Jensen and Alistair disappeared from her line of sight. A second later, there were loud shouts and the sounds of metal hitting metal. Luther did a running jump over the hill and a surprised yell followed. That bandit probably didn't expect to be knocked to the ground by a flying Mabari. Leliana waited a second longer before effortlessly jumping down too.

Jordana approached the hill and looked down. For the time being, it didn't look like she was needed. A couple of bandits were already dead while the remaining few were locked in battle. A particular bandit stood out, only because of his size and the quality of his gear. He was far bigger in a muscular way and towered over his fellow bandits. His heavy armour was shiny and had very few scratches. This led Jordana to believe that this man was the leader. He calmly walked towards the fight and his past experience was obvious: he had been in a few fights and he had won most of them, if not all. Leliana was the first one to engage him and she was extremely fast. Her daggers, however, were not doing any damage and despite his size, the leader was pretty quick too.

Alistair and Jensen were still finishing off the last few bandits so Jordana whistled sharply. Luther froze and then looked to his mistress. She pointed at the big guy and he charged off, slamming all of his weight into the back of the leader's legs. It knocked the big man off balance which gave Leliana the opening she needed to injure the man. It wasn't enough to kill him but it was progress. Unfortunately, it also made him very angry and his attacks grew more savage. Leliana now had to focus on dodging only instead of finding a way through his defences. Jordana decided she had waited by the side lines long enough. Even if she couldn't effectively use her daggers, she could at least keep him off Leliana long enough so Alistair and Jensen could help.

She dropped down from the edge of the hill and tightened her grip on her dagger. Leliana had just rolled out of the way of the big man's next attack but he was closing the distance easily. Jordana ran towards him and kicked the back of his knee as hard as she could. The man stumbled but he recovered an instant later. He swung his large two-handed axe in a wide arc behind him and Jordana was forced to jump back to avoid its sharp blade. Leliana was already back on her feet and an idea silently passed between them. The only way they were going to defeat him was to wear him down so they would have to tag team him. They continued to alternate between attacking and dodging.

While it succeeded in making him tired, it also made him even angrier. As Jordana managed to narrowly dodge his axe again, Jensen and Alistair finally came running in to save the damsels in distress. Jensen used his shield to easily block the next axe swing and Alistair forced his weight behind his own shield as he charged. Luther quickly followed and the leader was on the floor. Leliana and Jordana took a few steps back to catch their breath. Jordana continued to watch as the men fought it out but she soon realised the problem wasn't the man but the man's armour and axe. The axe prevented anyone from getting too close while the armour was strong enough to block off the weak attacks that managed to get through.

This meant they needed a plan which didn't involve getting too close. The bandit leader had opted to go without a helmet which left his neck open to attack. Jordana really wanted to use her bow right about now but she knew she couldn't. Her eyes slowly drifted down to the dagger in her hand. It was so obvious that she almost felt embarrassed. She shifted her grip on the dagger's hilt and then waited. Jensen was forced onto his knees to block an especially powerful attack with his shield in both hands as his sword had been dropped at his side. Alistair had been knocked onto his side and was winded while Luther hung back, trying to figure out his next attack. Jordana lined up the perfect shot and threw her dagger. It spun through the air at an incredible speed which caused the leader to look up. His look of victory quickly changed to confusion as the dagger found its target and he collapsed to the floor. Jensen looked up in surprise and then at her.

"What took you so long?" he demanded breathlessly.

"I was aiming," she replied and approached the bandit to retrieve her dagger.

Leliana had gone over to help Alistair. Once she had cleaned her dagger, Jordana helped her brother up and noticed the two warriors were breathing very hard. The fight had gone on longer than any of them had expected. Even Luther was huffing and puffing in exhaustion but he at least looked pleased with himself. Jordana smiled as the mental image of a bandit suddenly being pounced on by the large Mabari reappeared. It was not something she had expected him to do. She would have paid to see the look on that bandit's face. After a moment, she spied a nearby chest and her curiosity was piqued. The boys had already collapsed on the floor to rest so there was some time.

Jordana walked over and took out her lockpicks that she always had tucked away somewhere in her armour. Kneeling in front of the chest, she immediately got to work. It was surprising how easily it came back to her. Growing up in Highever didn't give Jordana much opportunity to practice her lockpicking, unless it was her birthday and she wanted to sneak a peek at her present or someone lost a key but that rarely happened and Mother had started to hide her presents in the Treasury which was impossible to break into. After a few seconds, the lock clicked and the lid popped open. Jordana put her lockpicks away and opened the chest all the way.

Leliana had sauntered over and they started to search the chest. There was a small coin purse with a couple of silver coins inside and some pretty old looking pieces of leather armour. A mace had somehow been forced inside and there was a handful of health poultices squashed beneath everything else. The bandits weren't going to need them anymore so they quickly took the silver and the health poultices. Once they were sure that there was nothing else of use to them, Jordana closed the lid once again and they returned to the boys. Jensen was looking at Leliana in a peculiar way and she had noticed.

"Is there something on your mind?" she asked politely.

Jensen did not look away. "You fight pretty well for a lay sister." It was both a question and an accusation hidden in a statement.

Leliana's smile only brightened. "These skills are from my life before I became a lay sister, no?"

Jensen frowned, trying to figure out if that was actually a question or just an Orlesian way of speaking.

"You don't lose your skills just because you join the Chantry," Alistair agreed.

Jordana was surprised by how sure of it he was (not that she ever thought that was the case) and his tone indicated a certain familiarity with the topic. "You have experience with the Chantry?"

"You could say that," he answered with a small smile. "I was trained as a Templar but I never took my vows."

Well, that explained his skill with a sword and Jordana was able to connect the dots quite easily: Duncan had recruited him before he took his vows and Alistair was trying to avoid thinking about it. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Alistair was freely sharing information about his past and yet, she couldn't do the same. It was frustrating and annoying.

"So, what did you do before you joined the Chantry?" Jensen asked Leliana and got to his feet.

"I travelled," she answered simply and evasively.

Jordana could tell that they wouldn't get more from the young woman until she was ready. Jensen must have realised the same thing because he was surprisingly quiet. As soon as they were all rested, they followed the directions on the last piece of paper to track down the remains of Goodwife Sarha. Luther proved to be invaluable and he was easily able to find them. Jordana removed a keepsake from the woman's remains as proof and Jensen made a note of the location. There was little conversation as they made their way back to the Chantry (aside from Leliana and Alistair comparing their experiences in the Chantry) and as they returned, a prisoner's cage caught Jordana's attention.

A large, muscular…man was standing within dressed in simple clothes and murmuring to himself in some other language. His white hair was pulled back and everything about him just said that he was resigned to his fate. It was strange though. He was quite obviously a Qunari and a warrior…yet he was defeated without a single wound. From what Aldous taught them, Jordana was under the impression that the Qunari would sooner die on the battlefield than allow themselves to be taken prisoner. And here was a Qunari prisoner who was not resisting or trying to escape. It was enough to make her stop dead in her tracks. Jensen nearly collided with her and looked at her in confusion.

"Leliana, what do you know about him?" Jordana asked and indicated the Qunari.

"Not much," she admitted. "Only that he is a prisoner of the Chantry and the Revered Mother is not sure of what to do with him."

Jensen examined the Qunari. "I think you may be onto something, Jords. Qunari are well trained warriors. He's like a one man army. He would be pretty useful against the darkspawn."

"Assuming he doesn't try to rip our arms off," Alistair pointed out.

Jensen tilted his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps but we can always use another sword between us and the darkspawn." With that, he walked over to speak with the Qunari, Luther following at his heels.

"Well, Luther approves," Jordana remarked with a small smile.

"He also thinks digging a hole in the ground is a lot of fun," Alistair argued in a teasing tone.

Jordana's smile turned into a smirk and Leliana giggled. Trusting a dog's version of a good idea probably wasn't the best course of action, even if the dog was as smart as Luther. After a few more minutes, Jensen returned with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Sten has agreed to help us against the darkspawn," he explained. "But there's a catch."

"Isn't there always?" Jordana asked.

"He murdered a family on the outskirts of Lothering," Jensen answered. "He has admitted to it and agreed to punishment. Convincing the Revered Mother to release him might be…difficult."

"Perhaps not," Leliana said thoughtfully. "The Chantry is about forgiveness and redemption. In helping the Grey Wardens stop the Blight, he might find redemption which is unlikely in a cage."

Jordana exchanged an unsure glance with Alistair. Jensen readily accepted this approach and the pair all but ran towards the Chantry, leaving Jordana and Alistair to deal with the Chanter's Board. Alistair handed the pages back to the Chanter, including Goodwife Sarha's keepsake, and explained everything they were able to accomplish. The Chanter was pleased with what they had done and handed over the silver which Jordana deposited in her coin purse with the rest of their money. They were then forced to wait outside in a slightly awkward silence. Eventually, Leliana and Jensen returned. Leliana had a key in her hand and a very large greatsword. Jensen was attempting to carry heavy steel armour and his face was already going red from the exertion. Alistair took a few pieces and they returned to the cage.

Sten looked surprised to see them return, especially with a key in hand but he silently put his armour on. Jordana watched as he examined the sword. She had assumed it belonged to him because of its size but the way he handled it led her to believe that it was his first time seeing it. She kept her distance, just in case, and watched Luther excitedly bark at his feet. Leliana offered him some food which he declined and once he was ready, they decided it was time to leave Lothering. There was still so much to do with so little time. Jordana also guessed the villagers wouldn't appreciate them freeing a known murderer. It was safer – especially for Sten – if they left now.

Unfortunately, the darkspawn had other ideas. The main road that would lead them to Redcliffe was swarmed with the ugly buggers and two Dwarven civilians were under attack. Before Jensen could even give an order, Sten charged into battle with the huge sword gripped tightly in his hands. The darkspawn scattered at the sight of the terrifying warrior but they recovered quickly. It took the others a few seconds longer to recover from their surprise. Alistair and Leliana were the first and quickly followed Sten's lead with Luther doing his battle howl. Jensen and Jordana hung back, admiring the carnage that was over in a few minutes.

"Huh," Jordana remarked, at a loss for words.

Jensen scratched his head. "I think our odds just doubled."

"Perhaps Luther has a knack for recruiting," she replied and they shared a smile.

"Are you all right?" Jensen asked the dwarves when they approached.

The older dwarf had dark brown hair and a long beard. He bowed respectfully. "We're quite all right, thank you. My name is Bodahn and this here is my son, Sandal. Say hello to the nice people, Sandal."

"Hello," Sandal followed orders. He was quite young but Jordana was unfamiliar with Dwarven standards of teenager. He had blonde short blonde hair and his blue eyes watched them all curiously.

"You have excellent timing," Bodahn continued. "Perhaps we are travelling in the same direction? We could use the company."

"And the swords, I'd imagine," Jordana joked as she eyed the merchant's goods.

"Indeed," Bodahn agreed with a bright smile.

Jensen looked back over their mismatched group. "As much as we would welcome a merchant's services, I don't think it would be a good idea to travel with Grey Wardens. We attract a certain…crowd."

"Ah yes," Bodahn lamented sadly. "You are correct. Thank you for saving us all the same. Come on, Sandal. Let's get this mess cleaned up."

They decided to hang around and help Bodahn clean up the mess as it felt wrong to just leave. It was as Jordana moved a broken crate that she found a small statuette beneath it. It was expertly carved from black stone and roughly the same size as her hand. Alistair moved over to move another crate beside her and his eyes lit up the moment he saw the statuette.

"Would you like it?" she offered. "I'm sure Bodahn won't mind."

Alistair looked at her in surprise. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Think of it as a thank you gift for saving me," she decided.

He grinned and took the statuette from her hand. "Oh wow. No one's ever given me a gift like this before."

Jordana smiled at his boyish excitement and looked up in time to notice Jensen smirking at her. In response, she stuck out her tongue and focused on the task at hand and not on how pleased she felt to have made Alistair smile like that.


	8. Revelations

**I am sorry about the wait. I intended this to be done earlier in the month but I underestimated my workload for university then I got pretty sick this week so I wasn't up to writing. And then, my house got broken into this morning so that was fun. But, I persisted and I hope you enjoy this chapter. There is very little combat but there is important dialogue. The next chapter we'll be arriving at Redcliffe.**

**Please read and review. I would really like to hear your thoughts on this story.**

**Chapter 8: Revelations**

The small group continued to walk through the countryside for most of the day. It was peaceful away from the village and Jordana was almost able to forget that there was a Blight without the refugees as a constant reminder. The birds were singing happily and a cool breeze was blowing. When it was close to dusk, they found a small clearing and started to set up camp beside a small pond. Alistair and Jensen saw to the tents. Leliana volunteered to get dinner started and Jordana ventured into the trees to collect some firewood with Luther bounding at her side. Sten seemed more interested in 'standing guard' than helping anyone. Jordana wasn't surprised. He had been very aloof since they departed Lothering and barely said two words, aside to Luther.

Jordana laughed as Luther barked playfully at her, just begging her to throw a stick for him. Despite his intellect, Luther was still a dog and found pleasure in the simplest things, such as playing fetch. Jordana decided to oblige and threw a small stick into the trees. Luther barked excitedly and disappeared into the brush, heading after the stick. Jordana continued to search for more firewood and was quite surprised when her Mabari returned with an old bottle of wine. It was covered in a thick layer of sand and most certainly was not a stick. She raised an eyebrow and reached for the bottle, carrying it in one hand with the firewood under her other arm.

By the time she returned to camp, it had been properly set up. Jensen and Alistair had moved a fallen log into camp so they could sit on it and share a few jokes. Leliana was stirring the pot over the fire and she greeted Jordana brightly as she approached. Jordana lowered the firewood onto the ground besides one of the tents so the wood wouldn't catch on fire due to an errant spark or an unexpected gust of wind blew ash onto it. Luther headed over to Sten who was still standing watch and curled up at his feet. Jordana took a seat beside Jensen and handed him the bottle. Out of surprise, he took it and wiped some of the dust away.

"Antivan Brandy?" he asked incredulously. "Where did you find this?"

"Luther found it. I threw a stick and he returned with the bottle," Jordana answered with a small smile.

Jensen shook his head in amusement and put the bottle on the floor. "Your dog."

It had been an unexpected find – especially considering Jordana had been expecting a stick – and no one was brave enough to try it. With the amount of dust that was caked on the outside of the bottle, it must have been buried in the ground for a very long time. While Jordana wasn't sure if Antivan Brandy ever expired, she wasn't volunteering to test it. Much to their surprise, Bodahn wandered into their camp a short while later with his merchant's wagon and his son. Jensen, as the unofficial leader of their little group, got to his feet and went to investigate the merchant's sudden reappearance. After Bodahn's initial reluctance to follow them, Jordana had assumed that they wouldn't see the Dwarf again…yet, here he was and he looked quite excited to be here.

"Do you think they will be joining us for dinner?" Leliana asked brightly as she continued to stir the stew she had made.

Jordana watched the exchange between Jensen and Bodahn with interest. "Well, considering Jensen hasn't started shouting yet, I think it's safe to assume that's a possibility."

Leliana giggled and then tasted a spoonful of the stew. "Your brother seems very nice."

"Headstrong and stubborn too," Jordana agreed with a smile. "Not to mention impatient, moody, an insufferable winner and used to getting his own way." She glanced at Leliana and noticed she was still a bit amused. "I am teasing, of course."

The other woman didn't believe that for a second and continued to smile. "Of course."

Jensen returned from his chat and sat down again between Jordana and Alistair. "Bodahn and Sandal will be following us for a while. He has offered us his merchant services – at a discount, naturally – and Sandal will Enchant weapons and armour for us, free of charge."

"Free of charge?" Jordana repeated in surprise. "Anywhere else, Enchanting costs a fortune."

Jensen shrugged. "Apparently, the boy is a savant and enjoys his work. Bodahn promised to stay out of our way…without any prodding from me," he added quickly when he noticed the two women were giving him a look. "I think he's just glad to have somewhere safe to camp on the road. He has also offered to keep some stuff on his wagon for us, if we don't want to carry it around all the time."

"That's nice of him," Leliana commented. "I'm going to invite them to dinner." She practically skipped off in the direction of the wagon, on the opposite side of the clearing.

Jordana watched her go with an arched eyebrow. "What sort of stuff does he sell?"

"From what I can tell, a little bit of everything," Jensen answered. "Food, armour, weapons, poultices…everything we could possibly need and some things we don't."

Leliana returned with less skipping although she didn't look any less happy. "Bodahn is content to remain by his wagon. Sandal is such a sweetheart."

"Do we have to worry about you kidnapping him in the middle of the night?" Jordana teased.

She smiled and shrugged innocently. "Dinner's ready."

Jordana got to her feet and walked over to help dish up. She would hold the bowls while Leliana spooned the stew in. It smelled wonderful which was quite surprising, given their limited ingredients. Jordana also broke up a loaf of bread into smaller pieces to go with the stew and would then pass the bowls to the others. It was only when Alistair took his bowl that she realised he had been very quiet and looked like someone had kicked his puppy. Jensen was his usual oblivious self so there was no help there. She was worried about him. He had been acting out of character ever since they'd made the decision to go to Redcliffe. Something was bothering him and he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet so Jordana decided not to draw attention to him.

Sten was the last to accept his bowl and finally took a seat on the very edge of the fallen tree, furthest from them all and quietly ate his food. Leliana had also set aside a few scraps for Luther to eat and once everyone else was seated, Jordana and Leliana took a seat on the floor, close to the fire. The food was delicious and everyone ate in silence. Jordana glanced to the side and found that Bodahn and Sandal had settled in quite nicely too. In the quiet, she couldn't stop her thoughts from wondering about the road ahead. Never in her wildest dreams did Jordana ever think she would be part of a quest to stop a Blight and the whole thing was daunting.

Her mind drifted towards Redcliffe. There had been rumours in Lothering that Arl Eamon was extremely sick and that news seemed to have affected Alistair deeply. Perhaps that explained his silence. A part of her hoped that Captain Oswald and whatever forces remained had made their way to Redcliffe as per her orders yet she was also terrified that Fergus was with them. How could she face him after her failure at Highever? She couldn't even forgive herself so she didn't expect him to forgive her. Jordana finished her food and put the bowl down on the floor beside her. The silence persisted until Alistair shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"There's something you need to know," he said hesitantly. "Before we reach Redcliffe." His gaze was mostly focused on his feet and this was probably whatever had been weighing on his mind.

Jordana and Jensen exchanged a glance. Something about his tone implied he didn't often speak about this and he wouldn't be doing it now if it wasn't important.

"What's on your mind, Alistair?" Jordana probed gently. She didn't want him to feel like he had to share this if he didn't absolutely want to.

"I told you before about how Arl Eamon raised me, right? That my mother was a serving girl at the castle and he took me in?" he asked.

Jordana remembered him mentioning it to Leliana while they had been travelling so she nodded. "Yes."

"The reason he did that was because…," he continued, still unsure. "Well, because my father was King Maric. Which made Cailan my…half-brother, I suppose."

Jensen was his usual self and choked on his stew at this profound revelation. Jordana only frowned in confusion which went unnoticed by everyone. It was almost expected of kings – especially those who married their queens for political purposes and not love – to have illegitimate children. A rather snobbish noblewoman in Denerim had once suggested to a young Jordana that that was the secret to having a happy loveless marriage (Mother was aghast, obviously) when the discussion turned to Jordana's many suitors. All discomfort aside, she had understood the lady perfectly but her father had assured her that not every marriage went down that road. Illegitimate children were an open secret, usually talked about behind closed doors…so how had Alistair escaped the prying eyes of the gossiping nobles?

When no one said anything in response, Alistair finally lifted his gaze from the floor and looked around in confusion. He had probably expected thousands of questions to follow. Jensen was too busy trying to recover and Sten didn't even look like he was listening. Leliana's head was tilted to the side in a serene but thoughtful expression. Eventually his eyes drifted over to Jordana and they stared at each other in silence for a few moments. It was almost as if her opinion scared him the most and he was worried to hear what she thought about his heritage. It was when she realised this that she figured she should probably say something but she had no idea what to say.

"So…you're not just a bastard. You're a royal bastard?" she ventured, hoping to go for a teasing tone so Alistair didn't think this was the end of the world.

"Ha! Yes," he replied with the slightest hint of the funny young man she had met in Ostagar. "I should use that line more often." His humour disappeared quite quickly again. "I would have mentioned it sooner but…it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule and so they kept me secret. I've never talked about it to anyone. Everyone who knew either resented me for it or they coddled me…even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want you to know for as long as possible. I'm sorry."

Jordana had a feeling that last bit was directed at her and not the collective 'you'. "Well, you're in luck. Jensen resents everyone and doesn't even know the definition of 'coddle'."

"Hey!" Jensen protested and threw his spoon at her which she managed to dodge. "I don't resent _everyone_."

Jordana didn't reply and instead gave Jensen a plaintive look. He sighed quietly and nodded.

"We understand better than you think, Alistair," she said.

Alistair sighed in relief. "Good. I'm glad. It's not like I get special treatment for it, anyhow." Then he seemed to register what she had said and looked between the twins in confusion. "Why…?"

"The truth is…" Jordana began with a heavy sigh. "You're not the only one hiding your heritage."

"Are you a king's bastards too?" Leliana suddenly asked.

"No," Jensen answered and placed his bowl on the floor. "Jordana and I…we're…"

"Couslands," she finished quietly.

Leliana was surprised and Alistair openly gaped at them.

"What-? How did you end up at Ostagar?" he finally managed to ask.

"Arl Howe, our father's oldest friend, came to visit. They intended on riding to Ostagar together, like they had done against Orlais all those years ago but Howe's men were delayed," Jordana recounted and stared into the fire. "Father sent our brother ahead with Highever's forces while he remained behind to keep Howe company."

"He betrayed us," Jensen practically growled. "In the middle of the night, his forces arrived and raided Highever. There had been no delay. He was just waiting for the perfect time to launch his attack."

"They slaughtered everyone," Jordana continued quietly. "Even our nephew. He had just turned seven."

"Andraste's mercy," Leliana whispered. "How did you survive?"

"Duncan helped us escape and in return, he asked that I join the Grey Wardens," Jensen explained.

"And as long as we're alive, we can challenge Howe's claim," Jordana added.

"Which means your lives are in danger," Leliana remarked, taking the conversation quite seriously.

Jordana nodded. "That's why we didn't mention it sooner. We didn't want anyone at Ostagar to find out, in case they're working for Howe."

"We don't even know if Fergus is alive," Jensen admitted. "By the time we got to Ostagar, he left on a scouting mission. As far as he knows, everything back home is all right and Howe is still our ally. We have no way of getting a message to him."

Jordana shifted uncomfortably. "That's…not entirely true."

Jensen looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"While you were off doing your Grey Warden business, I went to see Captain Oswald," she answered. "I told him what happened and gave him a letter to give to Fergus."

"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Jensen demanded.

"When was I supposed to tell you? Between the trip into the Korcari Wilds or before your Joining when your only concern was vengeance?" she countered and when he had no argument, she sighed quietly. "I also told Captain Oswald to order the men to Redcliffe after the battle."

Jensen looked at her in surprise. "You think the army will head there?"

She shrugged. "It's possible."

Silence fell over the camp. Jordana half expected Leliana and Sten to reveal something about their own pasts but no such thing happened. It was hard to believe that Alistair was the bastard son of King Maric and had been raised by Arl Eamon for a time. Jordana remembered hearing rumours about Eamon caring for a young boy and many suggested that the boy had been Eamon's illegitimate son, something his young wife did not approve of. When the rumours suddenly stopped, Jordana had not thought anything more about it. Her mother had always said that gossip should not be taken seriously. Apparently, it had been Alistair and the rumours stopped when Eamon sent him to the Chantry where he lived unhappily until Duncan recruited him.

It was a sad story and it was pretty obvious why Alistair had taken the deaths of the Grey Warden, and Duncan in particular, so hard. After being denied a family twice, he finally found a place where he belonged only to have that family stolen from him for no good reason…not that a good reason for this existed. Sometimes, a reason was better than having no reason at all. Loghain's decision to leave the Grey Wardens and let everyone die was senseless. Jordana doubted they would ever get a reason. It was also pretty clear that Alistair had no illusions about his heritage and had no intent to take the throne. Truth be told, Eamon was probably next in line but Jordana doubted he would accept. He was happy with the life he had built in Redcliffe and had made it clear to all gossipers that he would never attempt to take the throne from his nephew.

When the silence persisted, Jordana decided she couldn't take the pity party any longer and headed into her tent. Judging from his expression, Alistair was unsure of how to react to the news that she was the daughter of a Teyrn. Jensen had not really changed, considering he was still a Grey Warden and Wardens often gave up their lives completely when they joined so to pretty much everyone, Jensen would just be a Warden and not the son of a Teyrn. She was glad to finally have that secret off her chest though. Leliana, Sten and Alistair were trustworthy, even though they had only known each other for a short time. They would not betray these secrets to anyone.

With that thought in mind, Jordana slowly descended into a peaceful sleep. Unfortunately, this peace didn't last for very long.

_She was standing in the wide cavern again. It was musty and even though it was a dream, she found it hard to breathe so far underground. The same sounds continued to echo, only there appeared to be more marching boots than last time. How was that possible? The huge dragon flew over her, as if observing the army below and planning its next move. But dragons weren't that smart and they didn't command large armies deep underground. After reminding herself that this was just a dream and nothing could hurt her, Jordana started to walk forward. The dragon suddenly landed on a rock nearby and perched on the edge, peering down the cavern._

_Suddenly, it lifted its head and its hungry eyes looked at her. _At_ her, not through her. Jordana froze and stared back, helplessly. How was any of this possible? It let out its screech once again but it was different. Jordana could feel it in her brain and every part of her body vibrated with it. In a hopeless attempt to block the sound out, she clamped both hands over her ears but that did nothing. Under the weight of the screech, she collapsed to her knees. She just wanted the noise to stop and she cried out. The dragon's mouth suddenly closed but it continued to stare at her. If Jordana didn't know better, it was almost as if this dragon was laughing at her._

Jordana woke with a start and was relieved beyond words to find that she was still safe in her tent. There weren't any more voices outside and the fire had dimmed a lot. She must have been asleep for longer than she thought. She rolled onto her back and stared at the top of her tent. Why was she dreaming about a dragon, of all things? She had expected dreams of darkspawn or Arl Howe. Not huge, scary, underground dragons who could somehow command a huge army. She sat up and tiredly used her hand to move the fringe from out of her eyes when it became clear there would be no more sleeping tonight.

Her mind drifted back to the fairy tales her mother used to read her when she refused to go to bed. A beautiful princess was often terrorised by a fearsome dragon until a knight in shining armour would come to her daring rescue. As Jordana glanced through the gap in the tent flaps, she was surprised to find Alistair was still sitting by the fire and then she smiled. Perhaps a Templar bastard prince in muddy chainmail would do. Her amusement faded after a moment and she pushed the thought aside. There were more important things to worry about than a stupid nightmare and children's stories.

Jordana left her tent and sat down by the fire. Alistair was so deep in thought he didn't notice her. Luther did and he trotted over, curling up beside her and using her knee as a pillow. Jordana smiled and scratched behind his ears. Her eyes fell on the Cousland Blade, still secure in its makeshift harness and then she looked over at Bodahn's wagon. He had offered to keep their supplies safe so they didn't have to worry about carrying their campsite around with them and a random Dwarf merchant's wagon was the last place anyone would think to look for the Cousland Blade…but could Bodahn be trusted to protect it and not let anyone know it was there?

"Couldn't sleep either?" Alistair suddenly asked.

"Bad dreams," Jordana answered with a small shrug. Luther whined in concern and she offered him a reassuring smile.

"Grey Wardens are no strangers to bad dreams," Alistair offered with a small smile.

"Until Jensen joined your ranks," she countered with a smile of her own. "That man can sleep through anything."

"So I'm learning," he agreed and then his expression shifted to something more concerned. "You're not angry that I didn't tell you sooner about…you know?"

"Angry?" she repeated in confusion. "I was concerned for a while but never angry. Unless there's some other secret you want to share?"

"There's very little to tell aside from my unholy love of fine cheeses and a minor obsession with my hair," he admitted with a teasing tone.

Jordana smirked. "Being a prince isn't all bad. I hear women go nuts over princes."

A slight blush crept up and Alistair was suddenly endearingly shy. "I…ah…not that I would want someone to like me for that reason but there are…worse fates." He then cleared his throat awkwardly.

Jordana fought extremely hard not to laugh and embarrass him even more. She knew Cailan had enjoyed the female attention that his position granted him and apparently, his father shared that. Alistair was different. Perhaps it was because he had been brought up in the Chantry or maybe he was just naturally a sweet man. If he did take the throne, Jordana had a feeling that he would be a good king – probably better than his brother and father. But a king couldn't be forced. She kept her eyes on the fire to give Alistair a chance to recover without making him even more uncomfortable and waited patiently until he was ready to speak again.

"I have no illusions about my status," he admitted after a few long moments and Jordana looked up from the fire. "It's always been made very clear that I'm a commoner and now a Grey Warden and in no way in line for the throne. And that's fine by me."

"There's nothing wrong with being a commoner," Jordana pointed out. "There's obviously something wrong with the nobility."

Alistair smiled reassuringly. "Not all the nobility."

She returned his smile and they descended into silence once again. The sun was slowly starting to rise and the darkness slowly ebbed away.

"So…are you?" Alistair ventured nervously. When Jordana looked at him in confusion, he quickly added "Well, earlier you said some women like princes…"

She smiled when he sort of drifted off and then tried to tell her to forget it. "Not really," she answered honestly and she could tell Alistair was trying to hide his disappointment. "I find myself more partial to Templar Grey Wardens."

At first he was confused and then surprised. A shy grin followed and Jordana looked back the fire, also smiling. Leliana walked out of her tent and joined them, greeting everyone brightly. Sten emerged not long after and they started to eat breakfast. When Jensen still didn't emerge from his tent, Jordana sighed impatiently.

"Luther?" The Mabari barked in response. "Would you be so kind as to wake my brother?"

Luther barked excitedly and then charged into Jensen's tent. There was a moment of silence before Jensen started to groan in his sleep. A single boot came flying out of the tent, landing just short of Sten. The tent then started to wobble dangerously and Luther barked again. He came running out with Jensen's pillow safely in his mouth and the tent collapsed a moment later. Luther trotted proudly and sat down next to Jordana, admiring his handiwork. The tent continued to move as Jensen tried to escape it and then grunted when he finally found daylight. Even Sten almost smiled as everyone else laughed.

Jordana scratched Luther behind the ear. "Good boy."

"I swear it, Jordana. One of these days, I'll get my revenge," Jensen threatened groggily and then yawned.

"You'll have to be awake for that," she pointed out.

Jensen groaned some other threat as he started to search his tent for his other boot. Jordana glanced at Luther and decided this was too good to pass up so she took the pillow from the Mabari and threw it at the back of Jensen's head. Jensen froze for a moment, trying to decide if he should retaliate and then continued looking. What Jordana didn't expect to happen was for Luther to jump on Jensen in an effort to get the pillow back. She was forced to cover her mouth with her hand to stop laughing. Once Jensen was able to recover his boots, he joined them for breakfast and kept sending Jordana glares.

As soon as everyone was done with breakfast, they started to pack up camp. They also chose to take Bodahn up on his offer and stored their tents and other camping gear in the back of his wagon. Jordana also made the decision to hide the Cousland Blade in her bedroll. That way, Bodahn didn't know it was there which would make it even more difficult to find. Just to make extra sure that Bodahn kept his word, Jordana gave him some silver for his trouble. Once the camp was completely cleared up, they set off once again with Jensen in the lead and Sten bringing up the rear. Luther remained up front and he was strangely alert. Usually he would speed off to chase a rabbit or something but not now. He must have picked up a trail and wanted to make sure they weren't in any danger.

They walked for a while until Luther suddenly froze. He stood at attention with his one front paw lifted off the ground and his ears were standing straight up. The others stopped behind him and got ready to draw their weapons. Luther's ears continued to swivel slowly and Jordana realised she could hear quick footfalls of someone running. Luther dropped low and started to growl, just as a young woman came around the bend. She was running quickly and was out of breath. There was a look of terror on her face and while she begged for help from Alistair and Jensen, Jordana couldn't help but look at her suspiciously. Her dress was far too clean for someone whose caravan was under attack by bandits.

Alistair and Jensen were drawn in by the damsel in distress act but Jordana was not and apparently Leliana wasn't either because she was watching the woman suspiciously. Once the men hurried after the woman, Jordana nudged Leliana's elbow and nodded her head in the direction of the trees along the road. Leliana smiled and together, they walked into the trees and disappeared into the shadows. They walked close together and peered through the plants at the scene that was unfolding before them. Jordana had been right to trust her gut. As soon as the boys had crossed a certain part in the path, a tree fell down and blocked off any retreat.

The clearing ahead had been set up to look like someone's caravan had been ambushed but the real ambushers were hidden behind them. An Elf with shoulder length blonde hair and tattoos on his face was the surprising leader of this ragtag group. Mercenaries revealed themselves and there was nothing in common between them so they must have been freelance, looking to make a quick buck. As soon as the decoy reached the Elf, she pulled out a staff and everyone was pointing weapons at each other. Jensen and Alistair had noticed their disappearance but they had bigger concerns to deal with.

Jordana drew her bow and knocked an arrow. Her arm stung slightly and under normal circumstances, she would have given up and let the others handle this. These were not normal circumstances, however, and she ignored the pain. She aimed the arrow at the mage and Leliana tapped her on the shoulder twice to let her know her position. Jordana nodded her head once without looking away from her target. Leliana slowly drew her daggers and time seemed to slow down. Jordana took a breath to steady herself. The mage was preparing a spell and Jordana released her arrow. It found its target and hit the mage in the chest. The woman looked down in surprise before crumpling to the floor.

With that, chaos followed. Jordana continued to fire arrows from the treeline, focusing on the mercenary archers. The archers kept firing in her general direction but they couldn't quite see her. Sten, Luther and Alistair were locked in combat with the other mercenaries although very few of them stood a chance against Sten's might. Jensen engaged the Elf in single combat and Leliana weaved her way through the warriors, injuring her enemies and protecting her friends in a deadly dance. The Elf fell and the rest of the mercenaries were killed. Jordana finally stepped out of the shadows and looked around curiously. Jensen and Alistair had walked over to the Elf who was not as dead as he appeared.

Leaving the Grey Wardens to their business, she walked amongst the dead to collect her arrows and replenish her quiver. Leliana had followed her lead, only she was collecting coin purses and other useful items she found on the mercenaries. Sten was standing in the middle of the clearing, silently watching the Elf. After a few minutes of conversation, the Elf got to his feet and shook hands with Jensen while Alistair looked on with a very unimpressed expression on his face. As soon as her quiver was full, Jordana walked over to investigate what had happened. The Elf's eyes were immediately drawn to her and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable, especially when he grinned at her.

"And who is this beautiful creature?" he purred in an Antivan accent.

Jordana arched an eyebrow and looked at Jensen. "You didn't."

Jensen shrugged. "We need all the help we can get and he has offered his services. Antivan Crows are held in very high regard."

"Obviously not as skilled assassins," she pointed out.

"Feisty," the Elf responded with a little too much enthusiasm.

Leliana, Sten and Luther soon joined them and Jensen explained that Zevran had been hired by Loghain to kill the remaining Grey Wardens. There was something off about his explanation and Jordana suspected he was keeping something to himself. Zevran was willing to work with them as the Crows didn't value his life as much as he did. Jordana wasn't entirely sure if this made him loyal or made them idiots. Regardless, Jensen decided to bring him along. Zevran made a dramatic bow as a nobleman would when meeting a lady for the first time, only it was exaggerated.

"It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such lovely ladies," he said.

Jordana grimaced and as he closed the distance between them, she drew a dagger and pointed the dagger's edge at his chin. "I'm only going to warn you once: keep your hands to yourself."

Zevran grinned as though this was a game. "I love it when they play hard to get."

Without her eyes ever leaving Zevran's, Jordana called her Mabari. "If he gets too close, feel free to protect me."

Luther growled menacingly and Zevran took a step back, much to the amusement of the others. Alistair, in particular, was quite pleased. Apparently, the Elf had not factored in a Mabari and he eyed the warhound cautiously.

"It is no trouble," Zevran replied with a smirk. "_All_ women succumb to my charm eventually."

Jordana rolled her eyes. "You think I haven't heard that before?"

Zevran blinked in surprise and before he could recover, she turned to face Jensen. "If you all are done laughing at me, can we please move on? If he was able to find us, others can too."

"You're right," Jensen agreed although he was still amused. "Hopefully, we can reach Redcliffe soon."

They continued forward and Jordana hung back, still trying to decide if Zevran was trustworthy and why Loghain was so intent on blaming the Grey Wardens. To put a price on their heads and send an Antivan Crow after them was not a good sign. Loghain must have truly believed that the Grey Wardens were responsible for Cailan's death and that there was no Blight. Who did he blame then? What was he trying to do to Ferelden? Loghain must believe he's doing the right thing, in a very twisted way. So many would not follow him if he did not believe himself. It was then that she realised Zevran had fallen in step with her and was ignoring Luther's growl.

"I admit, I was not entirely honest with your fearless leader," he stated.

Jordana raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How shocking."

Zevran chuckled. "I was not only hired to kill the Grey Wardens, you know."

"Were you also hired to annoy us?" she asked.

He shook his head. "A rather slimy fellow by the name of Howe, I believe, requested that I bring the Grey Warden's sister in alive."

Jordana had not expected that and only stared at the Elf as a sick feeling settled in her stomach. "You're lying," she whispered but there was no conviction in her voice.

"I am afraid not," he replied and his earlier humour had vanished.

"Why?" she pretty much choked out.

"I didn't catch all the details," Zevran admitted with a half-shrug. "Something about a marriage to his eldest son and a claim."

"Oh Maker," she breathed.

If she married Howe's son, it would legitimise his claim on Highever and no one would question it considering the history between the Howes and the Couslands. It would be as if that horrible night never happened in the eyes of everyone else and Howe would be rewarded for his treachery. But Howe's eldest son? Nathaniel had left years ago to explore the Free Marches and hadn't been seen since. It was the reason why Howe had been so intent on arranging a marriage between Jordana and Tomas, despite the history between Jordana and Nathaniel. He didn't know where Nathaniel was and there wasn't even a guarantee he was alive. Unless…unless Jordana's dream was real and Mother really was alive. She had a cunning mind and if she wanted to stall for time until a rescue, then this was the kind of thing she would suggest. Or was Jordana so desperate she was making connections that didn't even exist?

Something suddenly shifted in her mind and she looked at Zevran, who was admiring the scenery while she came to terms with this news. "Hang on. Loghain hired you to kill my brother but Howe hired you to kidnap me?"

"Yes," Zevran replied with a confused smile.

"They're working together?"

"It would appear so."

She closed her eyes in frustration. "The Orlesians."

"I'm sorry?" Zevran asked, wondering where all of this was coming from.

"Ignore that," she ordered and then gave the Elf a curious look. "Why tell me and not my brother?"

He shrugged in response. "I was hoping this information would endear you to me." When Jordana narrowed her eyes threateningly, he raised his hands in surrender. "I jest, dear lady. I wanted you to hear the news first so you can make your peace with it." Jordana gave him a disbelieving look and he shrugged. "Assassins don't usually deal in kidnapping."

"Fair enough," Jordana allowed cautiously. "But I'm still not sleeping with you."

Zevran chuckled, which received questioning looks from Jensen and Leliana and Alistair looked at them questioningly. "There are other ways to show gratitude."

Jordana rolled her eyes. "You never quit, do you?"

The Elf silently shook his head and Jordana hoped that Jensen had made the right decision in sparing his life.


End file.
